The discovery of Guiana : and The journal of the Second voyage thereto

SOHWEITZER'S COCOATINA.

A nti-Ih/gpept ic Cocoa or Chocolate l*oivder.
GUARANTEED PURE SOLUBLE COCOA.

Consisting solely of the finest Cocoa Beans with the excess of fat extracted.

The Faculty pronounce it the most nutritious, perfectly digestible beverage

for Breakfast, Luncheon, or Supper, and invaluable

for Invalids and Children.

Made instantaneously with boiling water. Palatable without Milk.

A tea-spoonful to a breakfast-cup costing less than a halfpenny.

COOOATZNA possesses remarkable sustaining properties. Specially adapted for

Early BREAKFASTS.

In air-tight Tins at Is. 6d., 3s., 6s. 6d., &c.. by Chemists and Grocers. [6

ICKELAILVER

B LAC kA^ Lead

NO

NO
DUST.

NO
DIRT.

Price 3s.

The British Empire.

By Sir GEORGE CAMPBELL, M.P.

CONTENTS :

I. Introductory; II. Free Self-governing Colonies;

III. Possessions and Settlements not Self-governing;

IV. India ; V. Crown Colonies ; VI. Territorial
Companies ; VII. Protectorates ; VIII. Recapitula-
tion of Crown Colonies and Protectorates ; IX.
Immigration to Tropical Territories ; X. Extension
or Retrogression ; XI. Africa ; XII. Conclusion.

CASSELL & COMPANY, Limited, LudgaU Hill, London.

L

Uniform with " King Solomon's Mines,"
** Treasure Island," &c.

Now Ready, price Ss.

Captain Trafalgar: a story of the

Mexican Gulf. Rendered into English
and Edited by William Westall from the
French of Andr£ Laurie. With Twenty-three
Full-page and other Illustrations.

CONTENTS.

The Summons.

En Boute.

Ansekao Sordar's Manuscript.

The Irrepressible Colomb.

Black Town.

Rosette.

A Breakfast on the Grass.

San Marco.

In Barataria Bay.

Kidnapped.

In Ponchartrain Wood.

Catching a Tartar.

On Beard the "Eureka."

The Mutineers.

Captain by Compulsion.

The Cyclone.

The Last of Jean Corbiac.

A Gunpowder Plot.

A Parting Shot. ^

Fire and Water.

CASSELL & COMPANY, Limited, Ludgate Hill, London,

TO MOTHBB8!

WOODWARD'S "CRIPE WATER,"

Or INFANTS" PRESERVATIVE. The only
SAFE Medicine for all Disorders of Infants —
Convulsions, Diarrhoea, Griping Pains, Teething,
&.C. A HIGH-CLASS MEDICINE, largely
used by Doctors in their own families — the highest
testimony to its value.

Sold by all Chemists and Stores, Is. l^d.
Sent post free /or 14 Stamps by

WOODWARD, CHEMIST, NOTTINGHAM, l^

Guiana. To face cover 2.]

WONDERFUL MEDICINE

BEEGHAM'S PILLS

Are admitted by thousands to be worth above a Guinea a Box
for BiUous and Nervous Disorders, such as Wind and Pain in
the Stomach, Sick Headache, Giddiness, Fulness and Swelling
after meals, Dizziness and Drovi^siness, Cold Chills, Flushings
of Heat, Loss of Appetite, Shortness of Breath, Costiveness,
Scurvy, Blotches on the Skin, Disturbed Sleep, Frightful
Dreams, and all Nervous and Trembling Sensations, &c. The
first dose will give relief in 20 minutes. This is no fiction, for
they have done it in thousands of cases. Every sufferer is
earnestly invited to tiy one box of these Pills, and they will be
acknowledged to be

WORTH A GUINEA A BOX.

For Females of all ages these Pills are invaluable, as a few
doses of them carry off all humours, and bring about all that is
required. No female should be without them. There is no
medicine to be found to equal Beecham's Pills for removing
any obstruction or irregularity of the system. If taken accord-
ing to the directions given with each box, they will soon restore
females of all ages to sound and robust health.

For a Weak Stomach, Impaired Digestion, and all Disorders
of the Liver they act like "Magic," and a few doses will be
found to work wonders upon the most important organs of the
human machine. They strengthen the whole muscular system,
restore the long-lost complexion, bring back the keen edge of
appetite, and arouse into action, with the Rosebud of Health,
the whole physical energy of the human frame. These are
"facts " admitted by thousands, embracing all classes of society,
and one of the best guarantees to the Nervous and Debilitated
is Beecham's Pills have the largest sale of any patent medicine
in the world.

Full Directions are given with each Box.
Soid by ail Druggists and Patent Medicine Dealers in ihe United
Kingdom y in Boxes at is. i^d. and zs. 9^. each. [30

Guiana. To face half-dtle.]

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA

In Wfekly Volumes, price 3d. ; or in Cloth, 6d.

CASSELL'S NATIONAL LIBRARY.

Edited by HENRY MORLEY, LL.D.

List of Second Year's Volumes, now in course 0/ publication,

53. The Christian Tear John Keble.

54. "Wanderiiigs in South America .. .. Charles Waterton.

55. The Life of Lord Herbert of Cherbury.

56. The Hunchback, and The Love-Chase . • J. Sheridan Knowles.

57. Crotchet Castle Thomas Love Peacock.

58. Lives of Pericles, FabiusMaximus.&c. . Plutarch.

59. Lays of Ancient Borne, &e Lord Macaulay.

60. Sermons on Evil-Speaking Isaac Barrow, D.D.

61. The Diary of Samuel Pepys.— 1663— 1664.

62. The Tempest .. Wm. Shakespeare.

63. BosaJind Thomas Lodge.

64. Isaac BickerstafF .. Steele and Addison.

65. Gebir, and Count Jtilian W. S. Landor.

66 The Earl of Chatham Lord Macaulay.

67. The Discovery of Guiana, &e .. . . Sir Walter Raleigh.

The next Volume will be

The Natural History of Selborne.— Vol. I.
By The Rev. Gilbert White.

•«* For list of the first year's volumes of Cassell's NATIONAL
Library, ste advertisement pages at end oj this book.

3 NATIONAL LIBRARY.

THE DISCOVERY

OF

GUIANA,

AND

The Journal of the Second Voyage thereto.

BY

SIR WALTEE EALEIGH.

CASSELL & COMPANY, Limited:

LONDON, PARIS, NEW YORK & MELBOURNE.

1887.

^^^d^

^

~iil^^h'

INTKODUCTION.

Sir Walter Kaleigh or Rawleigh, was born in
1552. in the Manor House of Hayes Barton, about
three miles from Budleigh Salterton, in Devon-
shire. He went at fourteen to Oxford, as a Com-
moner of Oriel ; and before he was eighteen he
had taken arms in France as a volunteer in the
ranks of the Huguenots. Walter Raleigh, the
elder, was married three times, and Walter
Raleigh, the younger, was his son by the third
wife. Her maiden name Avas Champernon, but
when he married her, she was widow of Otto Gil-
bert, with three sons. One of them was Humphrey
Gilbert, whose name is associated with that of his
half-brother Walter Raleigh in the history of Eng-
lish adventures by sea.

From France, where he had fought in the battles
of Jarnac and Montcontour, young Walter Raleigh
returned to England, studied law for a short time
in the Middle Temple, and wrote a poem of com-
pliment prefixed, in 1576, to Gascoigne's " Steel
Glass;" but in 1578 he fought under Sir John
Norris in the Low Countries. Then he was off on
adventure by sea with his half-brother Humphrey
Gilbert ; and in 1580 he was a captain with the Eng-
lish troops in Ireland, where he first met Edmund
Spenser. Spenser had come to Ireland a few

6 INTEODUCTION.

months before as secretary to the Lord Deputy,
Arthur Lord Grey of Wilton. Raleigh and
Spenser, who were then young men of about eight-
and-twenty, became afterwards strong friends ; for
Raleigh also, vigorous man of action, was a poet
and a good one, and Spenser, foremost of the true
Elizabethan poets, took not less interest than Mil-
ton in the vital action of his time.

In December, 1581, Raleigh was sent from Ire-
land to London with despatches for the Queen.
In February, 1582, he went with Leicester to Ant-
werp. In the following April he had a new
appointment as a Captain in Ireland, because as
the Queen's warrant ran, " Our pleasure is to have
our servant Walter Rawley trained some time
longer in that our realm for his better experience
in martial affairs, and for the especial care that
we have to do him good, in respect of his kindred
that have served us, some of them near about our per-
son." But his oflfice was by the same warrant to be
for a while committed to a deputy, because he had
" for some considerations " leave to stay in England.

It was at this time that Raleigh's character and
his rare personal accomplishments began to raise
him high in the Queen's favour. To this time
belongs the doubtful story of the cloak gallantly
spread over the wet shore at Greenwich for the
Queen to walk upon. He was thirty years old,
with six feet of a handsome body richly dressed —
a Flemish Jesuit wrote of Raleigh, when in height
of favour, that his mere shoes were, for the jewels
in them, worth 6,600 gold pieces — a handsome
face with plenty of dark hair, speech witty and

INTRODUCTION. 7

bold, proud bearing, fiery energy ; a man of in-
tense vigour in action, who could pay ber Majesty
the happiest compliments, and sing her praise as
*' Cynthia " with sense as well as music in his verse.

In the summer of 1583, Raleigh's brother-in-
law, Humphrey Gilbert, having found others to
join money in the adventure, started on a second
expedition. Raleigh contributed to it £2,000 for
the equipment of a ship, " The Ark Raleigh," but
the Queen would not allow him to sail in it. The
expedition was unfortunate. Gilbert was drowned
in the wreck of his own vessel, crying to his com-
rades, " Be of good heart, my friends, we are a&
near Heaven by sea as by land ! "

Sir Humphrey Gilbert's letters patent were con-
tinued by the Queen in March, 1584, to Walter
Raleigh, who sent out, in April, Captains Barlow
and Amadas in two vessels, to explore the coast of
America from Florida northward, and report upon
any region he found fit for colonising. They
came back in September with an excellent account
of the lands. Her Majesty then named them, as
a maiden queen, Virginia. The Queen's age was,
at that time, fifty- one. Her favour to Raleigh
was due to his merit, to his bold spirit of enter-
prise, and to the large expense he was incurring
for the establishment of colonies in the New
World that might enable England to draw, like
Spain, new strength from beyond the seas:
Raleigh's undertakings put him to great cost, and
the Queen freely supplied money. In March^
1584, in 1585, in August, 1587, in May, 1589, she
gave him grants of a licence to export woollen

8 INTRODUCTION.

broadcloths, on payment of reserve rent to herself,
a licence which was worth .£4,000 a year. In
1584 she also gi-anted him the "Farm of Wines,"
which he sub -let for .£700 a year. In 1585 he
was knighted. In July, 1585, he was made
successor to a deceased Earl of Bedford, in the
office of Lord Warden of the Stannaries. In Sep-
tember, 1585, he was made Lieutenant of Corn-
wall, and soon afterwards Yice- Admiral of Corn-
wall and Devon. In 1586 he received a grant of
12,000 acres of forfeited land in Ireland. In 1587
he succeeded Sir Christopher Hatton as Captain of
the Queen's Guard. This was an unpaid office of
honour about the court, but in the same year the
Queen granted to Raleigh all the estates and pro-
perty that fell to the crown by the attainder of
Anthony Babington for conspiring to efiect the
murder of Elizabeth and to set Mary on the throne.
This enriched Raleigh with manors and lands in
three counties, Lincolnshire, Derbyshire, Notting-
hamshire, besides the little patrimony that he
liad in Devonshire.

The rise in substantial favour went side by side
u'ith Raleigh's work for the colonising of Virginia,
in the spring of 1585 he equipped a fleet of seven
vessels, in charge of his cousin. Sir Richard Gren-
ville, to found a colony of which Ralph Lane,
joined in the charge, was to be governor. Lane
was left with 105 colonists on the island of
Roanoake. In 1586 they were brought back,
rescued by Drake, after they had ruined themselves
by ill-treatment of the natives. They brought
back with them tobacco, which was then first

INTRODUCTION. 9

introduced into England. Thomas Hariot, one of
their number, published in 1588, "A Brief and
True Report of the New Found Land of Virginia,"
in which he described the way of smoking the
herb which they call appawoc, but the Spaniards
tobacco, " They used to take the fume or smoke
thereof by sucking it through pipes made of clay
into their stomach and head." In May, 1587,
Raleigh sent out another colony of a hundred and
fifty householders under Captain John White,
again to fail. Between 1587 and 1602 Raleigh
fitted out, at his own charges, no fewer than five
Virginia expeditions, and at the veiy last he wrote
of the land across the Atlantic, " I shall yet see it
a gi-eat nation."

Meanwhile he was at work in other ways. He
fitted out and despatched privateers that brought
home from the high seas wealth of Spain. He
endeavoured to turn famine-stricken wildernesses
in Cork, Waterford, and Tipperary into regions of
prosperous industry. In 1588 Raleigh's ship was
lost in pursuit of the Spaniards after discomfiture
of the Armada. In 1589 he was in Ireland
making the first plantation of potatoes about his
house at Youghal, and in friendly intercourse with
Spenser, whom he brought to coui-t in 1590, to pre-
sent to Elizabeth the first three books of his Faerie
Queene, which were then published in London.

In 1592 Raleigh fell into displeasure with
Elizabeth about his marriage with Elizabeth
Throgmorton, one of her maids of honour. Soon
afterwards he planned that expedition to Guiana
which this volume describes. Tempted by Spanish

10 INTKODUCTION.

tales of El Dorado, he sailed in February, 1595,
and published the account of his adventures after
his return.

With all his force of character there was a
proud reserve in Raleigh that turned many
against him, and decreased the number of his
friends. There was a faction bitterly opposed to
him, by which King James of Scotland was made
to regard him as a personal enemy. When James
YI. of Scotland became James I. of England,
Raleigh fell into his enemies' hands. Within the
year, Raleigh was tried at Winchester on a false
charge of conspiring to place Arabella Stuart on
the throne ; was sentenced to death, and reprieved
without any annulling of the sentence. During
the next twelve years he was a prisoner in the
Tower, where he wrote the great fragment of his
"History of the World;" published in 1614 as a
large folio. Its record reached only to the second
Macedonian War. In 1616, — the year of Shakes-
peare's death, — Raleigh obtained release by inspir-
ing hope in the king of gold from El Dorado. He
was provided with a patent for establishing a settle-
ment in Guiana, and sent on his second voyage.
The expedition failed. Raleigh returned in 1618,
having lost his eldest son in an attack on the new
Spanish settlement of St. Thomas; and on the
29th of October, 1618, King James obliged the
King of Spain by having the fifteen year old sen-
tence carried out. Sir Walter Raleigh thus died
on the scaffold at the age of sixty-six. This close
oC his story gives special interest to his own re-
cord of his expeditions to Guiana. H. M.

The discovery of Guiana.

On Thursday, the 6th of February, in the year
1595^ we__departed England, and the Sunday
following had sight of the North Cape of Spain,
the wind for the most part continuing prosperous ;
we passed in sight of the Burlings and the rock,
and so onwards for the Canaries, and fell in with
Fuerte Yentura the 17th of the same month,
where we spent two or three days, and relieved our
companies with some fresh meat. From thence we
coasted by the Grand Canaria, and so to Teneriffe,
and stayed there for the Lion^s Whelp, your lord-
ship's ship, and for Captain Amys Preston and the
rest ; but when after seven or eight days we found
them not, we departed, and dirgcted . on r no n r&e-jpr
Trinidad with mine own ship, and a small bark of
Captain Cross's only (for we had before lost sight of
a small gallego on the coast of Spain, which came
with us from Plymouth) : we aiTii:£d_at_-Trinidad

12 THE DISCOVERY OP GUIANA.

the 2 2nd of March, casting anchor at Point Curiapan,
which the Spaniards call Punto de Gallo, which is
situate in eight degrees or thereabouts : we abode
there four or five days, and in all that time we
came not to the speech of any Indian or Spaniard ;
on the coast we saw a fire, as we sailed from the
point Carao towards Curiapan, but for fear of the
Spaniards, none durst come to speak with us. I
myself coasted it in my barge close aboard the
shore, and landed in every cove, the better to know
the island, while the ships kept the channel. From
Curiapan, after a few days, we turned up north-east,
to recover that place which the Spaniards call
Puerto de los Hispanioles, and the inhabitants Con-
querabia, and as before (re-victualling my barge),
I left the ^hjpAund-kept by the shore, the ^bettar
to come to speech with some of the inhabUants,
and also to understand the rivers, watering-places,
and ports of the island, which (as it is rudely done)
my purpose is to send your lordship after a few
days. From Curiapan I came to a port and seat
of Indians called Parico, where we found a fresh
water river, but saw no peojale. From thence I
rowed to another port, called by the naturals
Piche, and by the Spaniards Tierra de Brea. In

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 13

the way between both were divers little brooks of
fresh water, and one salt river that had store of
oysters upon the ^ranches of the trees, and were
very salt and well tasted. All their oysters grew
upon those boughs and sprays, and not on the
ground; the like is commonly seen in the West
Indies and elsewhere. Thia-tie? is described by
Andrew Theuet in his Frmick," Autartigue," and
the form figured in his book as a plant very strange,
and by Pliny in his twelfth book of his " Natural
History." But in this island, as ^Iso in (j]V^^^,
therejLre_very many oi them.

At this point, called Tierra de Brea, or Piche,
there is that abundance of stone pitch, that all the
ships of the world may therewith be laden from
thence, and we made trial of it in trimming our
ships to be most excellent good, and melteth not
with the sun as the pitch of Norway, and therefore
for ships trading the south parts very profitable.
From hence we went to the mountain foot called
Annaperima, and so passing the river Carone, on
which the Spanish city was seated, we met with
our ships at Puerto de los Hispanioles, or Con-
querabia.

The island of Trinidad hath the form of a

14 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

shee^t^QOk, and is but narrow ; the north part is
very mountainous ; the soil is very excellent, and
will bear sugar, ginger, or any other commodity
that the Indies yield. It hath store of deer, wild
porks, fruits, fish, and fowl. It hath also for bread
sufficient maize, cassavi, and of those roots and
fruits which are common everywhere in the West
Indies, It hath divers beasts, which the Indies
have not ; the SpaJliards_confessed that.they found
grains__of gold in some of the rivers, but they,
having a purpose to enter Guiajiaj(thaJii^a^ine of
all rich meta],s), cared not to spend time in the search
thereof any farther. This island is called by the
people_thereqf Cairi, and in it are divers nations :
those about Parico are called laio ; those at ,PnntQ
Papao are of the Arwacas, and between Carao and
Curiapan they are called Salvaios ; between Carao
and Punto Galera are the Nepoios, and those about
the Spanish city term themselves Carinepagotos.
Of the rest of the nations, and of other ports and
rivers, I leave to speak here, being impertinent to
my purpose, and mean to describe them as they
are situate in the particular plot and description of
the island, three parts whereof I coasted with my
barge that I might the better describe it.

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 15

Meeting with the ships at Puerto de log
Hispanioles, we found at the landing place a
compaiiy_of_Spaniards who kept a guard at the
descent, and they offering a sign of peace, I sent
Captain JWhiddou. to apeak with them, whom
afterward, to my great grief, I \^t buried in the
said island after my return from Guiana, being a
man most honest and valiant. The Spaniards
seemed to be desirous to trade with us, and to enter
into terms of peace, more for doubt of- their own
strength^ than for j)ught^ else, and in the end, upon
pledge, some of them came aboard ; the same even-
ing there stole also aboard us in a small canoe two
Indians, the one of them being a cazique, or lord
of people called Cantyman, who had the year
before been with Captain Whiddon, and was of his
acquaintance. By this Cantyman we understood
what strength the Spaniards had, how far it was
to their city, and of Don Anthonio de Berreo, the
governor, who was said to be slain in his second
attempt of Guiana, but was not.

While we remained at Puerto de los Hispanioles
some Spaniards came aboard us to buy linen of the
company, and such other things as they wanted,
and also to view our ships and company, all which

16 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

I entertained kindly and feasted after our manner ;
by means whereof I l^rn^^jof, one and another as
jnuch of the estate of Guiana as I could, or as they
knew, for those poor soldiers having been many
years without wine, a few draughts made them
merry, in which mood they vaunted of Guiana and
of the riches thereof, and all what they knew of
the ways and passages, mvself seeming to purpose
nothing less than the entrance or discovery thereof,
but bred in them an 04)inion that I was bound
only forjthe relief of those English which I had
planted in Virginia, whereof the bruit was come
among them, which I had performed in my return
if extremity of weather had not forced me from
the said coast.

I found occasions for staying in this place for
two causes : the one was to be revenged of Berreo,
who the year before bptrayedeight of Captain
Whiddon's men, and took them while he departed
from them to seek the E Bonaventure, which
arrived at Trinidad the' day before from the East
Indies ; in whose absence Berreo sent a canoe
aboard the pinnace only with Indians and dogs, in-
viting the company to go with them into the woods
to kill a deer, who, like wise men, in the absence of

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA 17

their captain followed the Indians, but were no
sooner one arquebuse shot from the shore, but
Berreo's soldiers lying in ambush had them all,
notwithstanding that he had given his word to
Caj)tain Whiddon that they should take water
and wood safely ; the other cause of my stay was,
for that by discourse with theSpaniards I daily
learned more and more of Uiuana, of the rivers
and passages, and of the enterprise of Berreo, by
what means or fault he failed, and how he meant
to prosecute the same.

While we thus spent the time I was assured by
another cazique of the north side of the island
that Berreo had sent to Marguerita and to Cumana
for soldiers, meaning to have given me a cassado
at parting, if it had been possible. For although
he had given order through all the island that no
Indian should come aboard to trade with me upon
.pain of hanging and quartering (having executed
two of them for the same, which I afterwards
found), yet every night there came some with most
lamentable complaints^oT his cruelty : how he had
divided the island, and given to every soldier a
part ; that he made the ancient Caziqui, which were
lords of the country, to be their slaves, that he

3CQVERY OF GUIANA./

Lins, and aropped their ng

18 ^ THE DISC(

kept them in chains, and "dropped^ ^eir naked
bodies with burning bacon, and such other tor-
ments, which I found afterwards to be true j
for in the city, after I entered the same, there
were five of the lords, or little kings (which
they call Caziqui in the "West Indies), in one chain
almost dead of famine, and wasted with torments :
these are called in their own language Acarewana,
and now of late, since English, French, and Spanish
are come among them, they call themselves cap-
tains, because they perceive that the chiefest of every
ship is called by that name. Those five captains
in the chain were called \yannawanare, Carroaori,
Maquarima, Tarroopanama, and Aterima. So as
both to be revenged of the former wrong, as also
considering that to enter Guiana by small boats, to
depart 400 or 500 miles from my ships, and to
leave a garrison in my back interested in the same
enterprise, who also daily expected supplies out of
Spain, I should have savoured very much of the
ass ; and therefore, taking a time of most advantage,
I set upon the CoriJ clu guard in the evening, and
having put them to the sword, sent Captain Cal-
feild onwards with sixty soldiers, and myself
followed with forty more, and so took their _Jiew

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 19

city, which they called St. Joseph, by break of day ;
they abode not any fight after a few shot, and all
being dismissed but, .only. _^rreo,j-nd his com-
^anioii,JLbrought them with me aboard, and at
the instance of the Indians, I set their new city of
StjJos£ph-i»-^4=e.

The same day arrived Captain George Gifford
with your lordship's ship, and Captain Key mis,
whom I lost on the coast of Spain, with the gallego,
and in them divers gentlemen, and others, which
to our little army was a great comfort and supply.

We then hastened away towards our purposed
discovery, and first I called all the captains of the
island together that were enemies to the Spaniards,
for there were some which Berreo had brought out
of other countries, and planted there to eat out
and waste those that were natural of the place ; and
by my Ind[an interpreter^ which I carried out of
Englaud^- made them understand that I was the
servant of a jqueen, who was the gr,ga»4 Cazique
of_the^JiO£th,.and a virgin, and had more Caziqui
under her than there were trees in their island ;
that sjie_was_an_enemv io -the Castellani in respect
of_their_tyTOnny_and_oppression, and that she de-
livered all such nations about her as were by them

20 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

oppressed, and having freed all the coast of the
northern world from their servitude, had sent me
to free them also, and withal to defend the country
of Guiana from their invasion and conquest I
showed them her Majesty!a-^fti«4are, which they so
Adaaked and honoured as it had been easy to have
broughji. thom idQlatroii&jbhereof.

The like and a more large discourse I made to
the rest of the nations, both in my passing to
Guiana and to those of the borders, so as in that
part of the world her Majesty is very famous and
admirable, whom they now call " Ezrabeta Cassi-
puna Aquerewana," which is as much as " Eliza-
beth, the great princess, or greatest commander."
This done, we left Puerto de los Hispanioles, and
returned to Curiapan, and having Berreo my
prisoner, I gathered from him as much of Guiana
as he knew.

This Berreo is a gentleman, well descended, and
had long served the Spanish king in Milan, Naples,
the Low Countries, and elsewhere, very valiant
and liberal, and a gentleman of great assuredness
and of a great heart. I used him according to his
estate and worth in all things I could, according to
the small means I had.

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 21

I sent Qaptain Whiddon tLe year before to get
what knowledge he could of Guiana, and the end
of my journey at this time was to discover and
enter the same, but my intelligence was far from
truth, for the country is situate above six^ hundred
En^HsiL_iailes--liirt]ieX-from the__sea than I was
made_beligY£jjL_had been, which afterward under-
standing to be true by Berreo, T Vftpt if. frmn fhp
knowledge-of-«fty-company, who else would never
have been brought to attempt the same ; of which
six hundred miles I passed four hundred, leaving
my ships so far from me at anchor in the sea,
which was more of desire to perform that discovery
than of reason, especially having such poor and
wpfl,]^ vfiftRPilR to t.rq ]nRpr>r±-f>i]rsftlvfts in ; for in the
bottom of an old gallego w^hich I caused to be
fashioned like a galley, and in one barge, two
wherries, and a ship's boat of the Lion^s Whdp^ we
carried one hundred persons and their victuals for
a month in the same, being all driven to lie in the
rain and weather in the open air, in the burning
sun, and upon the hard boards, and to dress our
meat and to carry all manner of furniture in them,
wherewith they were so pestered and unsavoury,
that what with victuals being most fish, with the

22 THE DISCOVERY OP GUIANA.

wet clothes of so many men thrust together, and
the heat of the sun, I will undertake there was
never any prison_in England that could be found
^iora—Ainsavoury and loathsome, especially to
myself, who had for many years before been dieted
and cared for in a sort far differing.

If Captain Preston had not been persuaded that
he should have come too late to Trinidad to have
found us there (for the month was expired which
I promised to tarry for him there ere he could
recover the coast of Spain), but that it had pleased
God he might have joined with us, and that we
had entered the country but some ten days sooner,
ere the rivers were overflown, we had adventured
either to have gone to the great city of Manoa, or
at least taken so many of the other cities and
towns nearer at hand as would have made a royal
return. But it pleased not God so much to favour
me at this time ; if it shall be my lot to prosecute
the same, I shall willingly spend my life therein ;
and if any else shall be enabled thereunto, and
conquer the same, I assure him thus much, he
shaH- perform more than ever was done in Mexico
by Cortez, or in Peru by Pizarro, whereof the one
conquered the Empire of Montezuma, the other of

i

I

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 23

Guascar and Atabalipa, and whatsoever prince
shall possess it, that prince shall be lord of more
§o44 and of a more beautiful empire, and of more
ci^ties and people, than either the king of Spain or
the great Turk.

But because there may arise many doubts, and
how this empire of Guiana is become so populous,
and adorned with so many great cities, towns,
temples, and treasures, I thought good to make it
known that the emperor now reigning js dfi^^rpindftd
from those magnificent princes of Peru, ,pf whose
large territories, of whose policies, conquests,
edifices, and riches, Pedro de Cieza, Francisco
Lopez, and others, have written large discourses ;
for when Francisco Pizarro, Diego Almagro, and
others, conquered the said empire of Peru, and had
put to death Atabalipa, son to Guaynacapa, which
Atabalipa had formerly caused his eldest brother
Guascar to be slain, one of the younger sons of
Guaynacapa fled out of Peru, and took with him
many thousands of those soldiers of the empire
called Oreiones, and with those and many
others which followed him he vanquished all
that tract and valley of America which is
situate between the great rivers of Amazons

24 THE DISCOVERY OF GTJIANA

and Baraquona, otherwise called Oiinoco and
Maranion.

The empire of Guiana is directly east from Peru
towards_the sea, and Heth under the equinoctial
line»,and it hath more abundannp. nf gold than any
- part of Pern, and as many or more great cities
than ever Peru had when it flourished most. It is
governed by thg same laws, and the emperor and
people observe the same religion and the same
form and policies in government as was used in
Peru, not differing in any part ; and as I have
been assured by such of the Spaniards as have
seen Manoa^ the imperial jcity of Guiana, which
the Spaniards call El Dorado, that for the great-
ness, for the riches, and for the excellent seat, it
far exceejieth any of the-world, at least of so much
of the world as is known to the Spanish nation ;
it is founded upon a lake of salt water of two hun-
dred leagues long, like unto inare caspiu. And if
we compare it to that of Peru, and but read the
report of Francisco Lopez and others, it will seem
more than credible ; and because we may judge of
the one by the other, I thought good to insert part
of the 120th chapter of Lopez, in his "General
History of the Indies," wherein he describeth the

b

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 25

court and magnificence of Guaynacapa, ancestor to
the Emperor of Guiana, whose very words are
these : — " Todo el servicio de su casa, mesa, j
cozina era de oro y de plata, y quando menos
de plata y cobre por mas rezio. Tenia en su
recamara estatuas huecas de oro que parecian
gigantes, y las figuras al propio y tamanon de
quantos animales, aues, arboles, y yeruas produze
la tierra, y de quantos peces cria la mar y aguas
de sus reynos. Tenia assi mesmo sogas, costales,
cestas, y troxes de oro y plata, rimeros de palos de
oro, que pareciessen lenna raiada para quemar.
En fin no auia cosa en su tierra, que no la tuuiesse
de oro contrahecha : y aun dizen, que tenian los
Ingas un vergel en una isla cerca de la Puna, donde
se yuan a holgar quando querian mar, que tenia
la ortaliza, las flores, y arboles de oro y plata,
invencion y grandeza liasta entonces nunca vista.
Allende de todo esto tenia infinitissima cantidad de
plata y oro por labrar en el Cuzco, que se perdio
por la muerte de Guascar, ca los Indios lo escon-
dieron, viendo que los Espaiioles se lo tomauan y
embriauan a EspaJSa." That is : •' All the vessels
of his home, table, and kitchen were of gold and
silver, and the meanest of silver and copper for

26 , THE DISCOT^ERY OP GUIANA.

strength and hardness ot the^ metal. He had in
his wardrobe hollow.,statues_of gold which seemed
giants, and the figures in proportion and bigness
of all the beasts, birds, trees, and herbs that the
'earth bringeth forth, and of all the fishes that the
sea or waters of his kingdom breedeth. He had
also ropes, budgets, chests, and troughs .of gold and
silver, heaps of billets of gold, that seemed wood
marked out to bum. Finally, there was nothing
in his country whereof he had not the counterfeit
J3i=^QhL Yea, and they say the Ingas had a
garden of pleasure in an island near Puna, where
they went to recreate themselves when they
would take the air of the sea, which had all kind
of garden herbs, flowers, and trees of gold and
silver, an invention and magnificence till then
never seen. Besides all this, he had an infinite
quantity of silver and gold unwrought in Cuzco,
which was lost by the death of Guascar, for the
Indians hid it, seeing that the Spaniards took it
and sent it into Spain."

And in the 117th chapter, Francisco Pizarro
caused the gold and silver of Atabalipa to be
weighed after he had taken it, which Lopez setteth
down in these words following : —

I

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 27

" Hallaron cinquenta y dos mil marcos de buena
plata, y un millon j trezientos y veinte y seys mil,
y quinientos pesos de oro," which is : " They found
fifty and two thousand marks of good silver, and
one million, and three hundred . twenty and six
thousand and five hundred pesoes of gold."

Now, although these reports may seem strange,
yet if we consider the many millions which are
daily brought out of Peru into Spain, we may
easily believe the same, for we find that by the
abuiidant treasure of that country the Spanish
^ing^^o^exeth all the princes of Europe, and is be-
come in a few years, from a poor king of Castille,
the greatest monarch of this part of the world,
and likely every day to increase if other princes
forslow the good occasions ofiered, and suffer him
to add this empire to the rest, which by far exK^"\
ceedeth all the rest ; if his gold now_eiidange3&/ '^^"^,9
us, he_ willthen be unresistible. Such of the^'^iL
Spaniards as afterward endeavoured the conquest ^'v^ft/^
thereof (whereof there have been many, as shall r^i\
be declared hereafter) thought that this Inga (of ' ^-e^A/
whom this emperor now living is descended) took
his way by the river Amazons by that branch
which is called Papamene, for by that way followed

28 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

Orellana (by the commandment of the Marquis
Pizarro in the year 1542), whose name the river
also beareth this day, which is also by others called
Maranon, although Andrew Theuet doth affirm
that between Maranon and Amazons there are one
hundred and twenty leagues ; but sure it is that
those rivers have one head and beginning, and that
Maranon which Theuet describeth is but a branch
of the Amazons or Orellana, of which I will speak
more in another place. It was also attempted by
Diego de Ordaz, but whether before Orellana or
after I know not ; but it is now little less than
seventy years since that Ordaz, a knight of the
order of St. lago, attempted the same ; and it was
in the year 1542 that Orellana discovered the
river Amazons; but the first -that ever saw Manoa
was Juan Martinez^ master of the munition to
Ordaz. At a port called MorequTEo,^ in Guiana,
there lieth at this day a great anchor of Ordaz's
^jp^nd this port is some three hundred miles
within the land, upon the great River Orinoco.

I rested at this port four days : twenty days
after I left the "ships at Duriapan. The relation
of this Martinez (who was the first that discovered
^^lanoa), his success and end, is to be seen in the

I

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 29

Chauncery of St. Juan de Puei-to Rico, whereof
Berreo had a copy, which appeared to be the
greatest encouragement as well to Berreo as to
others that formerly attempted the discovery and
conquest. Qrellano, after he failed of the dis-
covery of Guiana by the said river of Amazons,
passed into Spain, and there obtained a patent of -"
the ^iPg W_ the invasion and conquest, but died
by sea about the islands, and his fleet being '
severed by tempest, the action for that time pro-
ceeded not. DiegoOrdaz followed the enter-
prise, and departed Spain with 600 soldiers and 30
horse, who, arriving on the coast of Guiana, was
glain \jy a mutiny with the most part of such as ..^^
favoured him, as also of the rebellious part, in so
much as his ships perished, and few or none
returned, neither was it certainly known what
became of the said Ordaz, until Berreo found the
anchor of his ship in the river of Orinoco ; but
it was supposed, and so it is written by Lopez,
that he perished on the seas, and of other writers
diversely conceived and reported. And hereof it
came that Martinez entered so far within the
land, and arrived at that city of Inga the Emperor,
for it chanced that while Ordaz, with his army,

30 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

rested at the port of Morequito (who was either
the first or second that attempted Guiana), by some
negligence, the whole store of powder provided for
the service was set on fire, and Martinez, having
the chief charge, was condemned by the General
-Xkiiaz to b^ executed forthwith : Martinez, being
much favoured by the soldiers, had all the means
possible procured for his life, but it could not be
obtained in any other sort than this : That he
should be set__into.^_canjoe^alone^ ^without any
victual, only with his arms, and so turned loose
into the great river ; but it pleased God that the
canoe was carried down the stream, and that cer-
tain of the Guiaaiaiis-iaet it the same evening,
and having not at any time seen any Christian,
nor any man of that colour, they carried Martinez
into the land to be wondered, at^ and so from town
to town, until he came to the great city of Manoa,
the seat and residence of Inga the Emperor. The
Emperor, after he had beheld him, knew him to be
a Christian (for it was not long before that his
brethren, Guascar and Atabalipa, were vanquished
by the Spaniards in Peru), and caused_him to be
lodged in his palace, and well entertained : he
lived seven months in Manoa, but not suffered to

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 31

wander into the country anywhere : he was also
brought thither all the way blindfold, led by the
Indians, until he came to the entrance of Manoa
itself, and was fourteen or fifteen days in the
passage : he avowed at his death that he entered
the city at noon, and then they uncovered his
face, and that he travelled all that day till night
through the city, and the next day from sun
rising to sun setting, ere he came to the palace
of Inga. After that Martinez had lived seven
months in Manoa, and began to understand the
langiiage of the country, Inga asked him whether
he desired to return into his own country or
would willingly abide with him : but Martinez,
not desirous to stay, obtained the favour of Inga
to depart, with whom he sent divers Guianians to
conduct him to the river Orinoco, allladen with
as much gold as they could carry, which he gave
to Martinez at his departure : but when he was
arrived near the river's side, the borderers, which
are called Orenocoponi, robbed ..him and his
Guianians of all the treasure (the borderers being
at that time at^wax-adth Inga^ and not conquered),
save only of two great bottles of gourds, which
were filled with beads of gold curiously wrought,

32 THE DISCOVERY OP GUIANA.

which those Orenocoponi thought had been no
other thing than his drink or meat or grain for
food with which Martinez had liberty to pass, and
so in canoes he fell dowii by the river of Orinoco
to Trinidad, and from thence to Marguerita, and
so to St. Juan de Puerto Rico, where remaining a
longtime for passage into Spain, he died. In the
time of his extreme sickness, and when he was
without hope of life, receiving the sacrament at
the hands of his confessor, he delivered these
things, with the relation of his travels, and also
called for his calabaza or gourds of the gold beads,
which he gave to the Church and friars to be
prayed for. This Martinez was he that christened
the city of Manoa by the name of JEl -Dorado, and
as Berreo informed me upon this occasion. Those
(^uianians. and also the borderers, and all others in
that tract which I have seen, are marvellous great
drunkards, in which vice I think no nation can
compare with them : and at the times of their
solemn feasts, when the Emperor carouseth with
Ins captains, tributaries, and governors, the man-
ner is thus : All those that pledge him are first
stripped naked, and their bodies anointed all over
with a kind of white balsam (by them called Curcai),

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIAXA. 33

of which there is great plenty, and yet very dear,
amongst them, and it is of all others the most
precious, whereof we have had good experience :
when they are anointed all over, certain servants
of the Emperor having prepared gold made into
fine powder, blow it through hollow canes upon
their naked bodies, until they be all shining

from the foot to the head, and in this sort they
sit drinking by twenties and hundreds, and con-
tinue in drunkenness sometimes six or seven days
together ; the same is also confirmed by a letter
written into Spain which was intercepted, which
Master Robert Dudley told me he had seen. Upon
this sight^ and for the abundance of gold which he
saw in the city, the images of gold in their temples,
the plates, armours, and shields of gold which they
use in the wars, he called it El Dorado. After
Oreliano, who was employed by Pizarro (afterwards
Marquis Pizarro, conqueror and governor of Peru),
and the death of Ordace and Martynes, one Pedro
de Osua, a knight of Navarre, attempted Guiana,
taking his way from Peru, and built his brigan-
dines upon a river called Oia, which riseth to the
southward of Quito, and is very great. This river
falleth into the Amazons, by which Osua with his
B— 67

34 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

companies descended, and came out of that pro-
vince which is called Mutylones ; and it seemeth
to me that this em pirn is reserved for her Majesty
and the English nation, by reason of the hard suc-
CQSS/adnch-^Lthese-and- other Spaniards found in
attempting the same, whereof I will speak briefly,
though impertinent in some sort to my purpose.
This Pedro de Osua had among his troops a
Biscayan called Agiri, a man meanly born, and
bare no other office than a sergeant or alferez ; but
after certain months, when the soldiers were
grieved with travels and consumed with famine,
and that no entrance could be found by the
branches or body of the Amazons, this Agiri raised
a mutiny, of which he made himself the head, and
so prevailed as he put Osua to the sword, and all
his followers, taking on him the whole charge and
commandment, with a purpose not only to make
liimself Emperor of Guiana, but also of Peru, and
of all that side of the West Indies. He had of his
party seven hundred soldiers, and of those many
promised to draw in other captains and companies
to deliver up towns and forts in Peru, but neither
finding by the said river any passage into Guiana,
nor any possibility to return towards Peru by the

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 6b

same Amazons, by reason that the descent of the
river made so great a current, he was enforced
to disembark at the mouth of the said Ama-
zons, which cannot be less than a thousand
leagues from the place where they embarked-:
from thence he coasted the land till he arrived
at Marguerita, to the north of Mompatar, which
is at this day called Puerto de Tyranno, for
that he there slew Don Juan de villa Andreda,
governor of Marguerita, who was father to Don
Juan Sermiento, governor of Marguerita when Sir
John Burgh landed there, and attempted the island.
Agiri put to the sword all others in the island
that refused to be of his party, and took with
him certain Cemerones, and other desperate com-
panions. From thence he went to Cumana, and
there slew the governor, and dealt in all as at
Marguerita : he spoiled all the coast of Caracas,
and the province of Venezuela, and of Rio de
Hache ; and as I remember, it was the same year
that Sir John Hawkins sailed to Saint Juan de
Lua in the Jesus of Luheck, for himself told me
that he met with such a one upon the coast that
rebelled, and had sailed down all the river of
Amazons. Agiri from hence landed about Sancta

36 THE DISCOVEEY OF GUIANA,

Marta, and sacked it also, putting to death so
many as refused to be his followers ; purposing to
invade Nuevo reyno de Granada, and to sack
Pampelone, Merida, Lagrita, Tunia, and the rest
of the cities of Nuevo reyno, and from thence
again to enter Peru. But in a fight in the said
Nuevo I'eyno he was overthrown, and finding no
way to escape, he first put to the sword his own
children, foretelling them that they should not
live to be defamed or upbraided by the Spaniards
after his death, who would have termed them
the children of a traitor or tyrant, and that
since he could not make them princes, he would
yet deliver them from shame and reproach. These
were the ends and tragedies of Oreliano, Ordace,
Osua, Martynes, and Agiri.

After these followed Geronimo Ortal de Saragosa
with 1 30 soldiers, who, failing his entrance by sea,
was cast with the current on the coast of Paria,
and peopled about S. Miguell de Neueri. It was
then attempted by Don Pedro de Sylva, a Portu-
guese, of the family of Rigomes de Sylva, and by
the favour which Pigomes had with the king he
was set out, but he also shot wide of the mark, for
being departed from Spain with his fleet, he

I

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 67

entered by Maraiion, or Amazons, where by the
nations of the river and by the Amazons he was
utterly overthrown, and himself and all his army
defeated ; only seven escaped, and of those but two
returned.

After him came Pedro Hernandez de Serpa, and
landed at Cumana, in the West Indies, taking his
journey by land towards Orinoco, which may be
some 120 leagues ; but ere he came to the borders of
the said river he was set upon by a nation of Indians
called Wikiri, and overthrown in sort, that of 300
soldiers, horsemen, many Indians, and negroes,
there returned but eighteen : others affirm that he
was defeated in the very entrance of Guiana, at the
first civil town of the Empire, called Macureguarai.
Captain Preston, in taking S. lago de Leon (which
was by him and his companies very resolutely
performed, being a great town and far within the
land), held a gentleman prisoner, who died in his
ship, that was one of the company of Hernandez
de Serpa, and saved among those that escaped,
who witnessed Avhat opinion is held among the
Spaniards thereabouts of the great riches of Guiana
and El Dorado, the city of Inga. Another
Spaniard was brought aboard me by Captain

38 THE DISCOVERT OF GUIANA.

Preston, who told me, in the hearing of himself
and divers other gentlemen, that he met with
Ben*eo, camp-master at Caracas, when he came
from the borders of Guiana, and that he saw with
him forty of most pure plates of gold curiously
wrought, and swords of Guiana decked and inlaid
with gold, feathers garnished with gold, and divers
rarities, which he carried to the Spanish king.

After Hernandez de Serpa^ it was undertaken by
the Adelantado, Don Gonzales Cemenes de Casada,
who was one of the chiefest in the conquest of
Nuevo reyno, whose daughter and heir Don
Anthonio de Berreo married : Gonzales sought the
passage also" by the river called Papamene, which
riseth by Quito in Peru, and runneth south-east 100
leagues, and then falleth into the Amazons, but he
also failing the entrance, returned with the loss of
much labour and cost ; I took one Captain George,
a Spaniard that followed Gonzales in this enter-
prise. Gonzales gave his daughter to Berreo,
taking his oath and honour to follow the enterprise
to the last of his substance and life, who since, as he
hath sworn to me, hath spent 300,000 ducats in the
same, and yet never could enter so far into the
land as myself, with that poor troop, or rather a

I

I

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 39

handful of men, being in all about 100 gentlemen,
soldiers, rowers, boat-keepers, boys, and of all sorts :
neither could any of the forepast undertakers,
nor Berreo himself, discover the country, till now
lately by conference with an ancient king called
Carapana he got the true light thereof ; for Berreo
came above 1,500 miles ere he understood aught,
or could find any passage or entrance into any
part thereof, yet he had experience of all these
fore-named and divers others, and was persuaded of
their errors and mistakings. Berreo sought it by
the river Cassanar, which falleth into a great river
called Pato ; Pato falleth into Meta, and Meta into
Baraquan, which is also called Orinoco.

He took his journey from Nuevo reyno de
Granada, where he dwelt, having the inheritance of
Gonzales Cemenes in those parts ; he was followed
with 700 horse ; he drove with him 1,000 head of
cattle; he had also many women, Indians, and
slaves. How all these rivers cross and encounter,
how the country lieth and is bordered, the passage
of Cemenes and of Berreo, mine own discovery
and the way that I entered, with all the rest of the
nations and rivers, your lordship shall receive in a
large chart or map, which I have not yet finished,

40 THE DISCOVERY OP GUIANA.

and which I shall most humbly pray your lordship
to secrete, and not to suffer it to pass your own
hands ; for by a draft thereof all may be pre-
vented by other nations. For I know it is this
very year sought, by the French, although by the
way that they now take I fear it not much. It was
also told me ere I departed England that Villiers
the Admiral, was in preparation for the planting
of the Amazons, to which river the French have
made divers voyages, and returned much gold and
other rarities. I spoke with a captain of a French
ship that came from thence, his ship riding in
Falmouth, the same year that my ships came first
from Virginia.

There was another this year in Helford that also
came from tlience, and had been fourteen months
at an anchor in the Amazons, which were both very
rich. Although, as I am persuaded, Guiana can-
not be entered that way, yet no doubt the trade of
gold from thence passeth by branches of rivers into
the river Amazons, and so it doth on every
hand far from the country itself, for those Indians
of Trinidad have plates of gold from Guiana,
and those cannibals of Dominica, which dwell in the
islands by which our ships pass yearly to the West

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 41

Indies, also the Indians of Paria, those Indians
called Tucaris, Chochi, Apotomios, Cumanagotos,
and all those other nations inhabiting near about
the mountains that run from Paria through the
province of Venezuela, and in Maracapana, and the
cannibals of Guanipa, the Indians called Assawai,
Coaca, Aiai, and the rest (all which shall be de-
scribed in ray description as they are situate), have
plates of gold of Guiana. And upon the river
Amazons Thevet writeth that the people wear
croissants of gold, for of that form the Guianians
most commonly make them : so as from Dominica
to Amazons, which is above 250 leagues, all the
chief Indians in all parts wear of those plates of
Guiana. Undoubtedly those that trade with the
Amazons return much gold, which (as is aforesaid)
cometh by trade from Guiana, by some branch
of a river that falleth from the country into the
Amazons, and either it is by the river which
passeth by the nations called Tisnados, or by
Carepuna. I made inquiries amongst the most

[ancient and best travelled of the Orinocoponi,
and I had knowledge of all the rivers l^etween
Orinoco and ATi[iazons. and was very desirous to

timdiay^tP-nd thft t.rnf,}^ nf those warlike women,

42 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

because of some it is believed, of others not : and
though I digress from my purpose, yet I will set
down what hath been delivered me for truth of
those women ; and I spoke with a cazique, or lord
of people, that told me he had been in the river,
and beyond it also. The nations of these women
are on the south side of the river, in the provinces
of Topago, and their chief est strengths and retreats
are in the islands situated on the south side of the
entrance, some sixty leagues within the mouth of
the said river. The memories of the like women
are very ancient as well in Africa as in Asia ; in
Africa those that had Medusa for queen, others
in Scythia, near the rivers of Tanais and Thermadon;
we find also that Lampedo and Mart^iesia were
queens of the Amazons; in many histories they
are verified to have been, and in divers ages and
provinces ; but they which are not far from Guiana
do accompany with men but once in a year, and
for the time of one month, which I gather by their
relation to be in April. At that time all the
kings of the borders assemble, and the queens of
the Amazons, and after the queens have chosen,
the rest cast lots for their valentines. This one
month they feast, dance, and drink of their wines

T)>^ fi/y0^7j>r\K^

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 43

in abundance, and the moon being done, they all
depart to their own provinces. If thfi^^conceive
and be delivered of a son^ they .return him to the
fath.er,-if of a daughter, they nourish it and retain
jt ; and as many as have daughters send unto the
begetters a present, all being desirous to increase
their own sex and kind ; but that they cut off the
right dug of the breast I do not find to be true.
It was further told me that if in the wars they
took any prisoners that they used to accompany
with those also at what time soever, but in the end
for certain they put them to death ; for they are
said to be very cruel and bloodthirsty, especially to
such as offer to invade their territories. These
Amazons have likewise great store of these plates
of gold, which they recover by exchange chiefly
for a kind of green stone, which the Spaniards
call Piedras Hijadas, and we use for spleen stones,
and for the disease of the stone we also esteem
them : of these I saw divers in Guiana, and
commonly every king or cazique hath one, which
their wives for the most part wear, and they
esteem them as great jewels.

But to return to the enterprise of Berreo, who
(as I have said) departed from Nuevo reyno with

44 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

700 horse, besides the provisions above rehearsed.
He descended by the river called^assanar, which
riseth in Nuevo reyno out of the mountains by
the city of Tunia, from which mountain also
springeth Pato, both which fall into the great
river of Meta, and Meta riseth from a mountain
joining to Pampelone in the same Nuevo reyno de
Granada : these, as also Guaiare, which issueth out
of the mountains by Timana, fall all into Baraquan,
and are but of his heads, for at their coming to-
gether they lose their names, and Baraquan farther
down is also re-baptised by the name of Orinoco.
On the other side of the city and hills of Timana
riseth Rio Grande, which falleth into the sea by
Santa Marta. By Cassanar first, and so into
Meta, Berreo passed, keeping his horsemen on the
banks, where the country served them for to march,
and where otherwise he was driven to embark
them in boats which he built for the purpose,
and so came with the current down the river of
Meta, and so into Baraquan. After he entered
that great and mighty river, he began daily to
lose of his companies both men and horse, for it
is in many places violently swift, and hath forcible
eddies, many sands, and divers islands sharp

THE DISCOVERY OP GUIANA. 45

pointed with rocks : but after one whole year,
journeying for the most part by river, and the
rest by land, he grew daily to fewer numbers, for
both by sickness, and by encountering with the
people of those regions through which he travelled,
his companies Avere much wasted, especially by
divers encounters with the Amapaiens ; and in all
this time he never could learn of any passage into I
Guiana, nor any news or fame thereof, until he
came to the farther border of the said Amapaia,
eight days' journey from the river Caroli, which
was the farthest river that we entered. Among
those of Amapaia, Guiana was famous, but few of
these people accosted Berreo, or would trade
with him the first three months of the six which
he sojourned there. This Amapaia is also mar-
vellously rich in gold (as both Berreo confessed,
and those of Guiana with whom I had most con-
ference), and is situated upon Orinoco also. In
this country Berreo lost sixty of his best soldiers,
and most of all his horse that remained of his former
years' travel; but in the end, after divers encounters
with those nations, they grew to peace, and they
presented Berreo with ten images of fine gold
among divers other plates and croissants, which, as

46 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

he sware to me and divers other gentlemen, were
so curiously wrought as he had not seen the like
either in Italy, Spain, or the Low Countries ; and
he was resolved that when they came to the hands
of the Spanish king, to whom he had sent them
by his camp -master, they would appear very ad-
mirable, especially being wrought by such a nation
as had no iron instrument at all, nor any of those
helps which our goldsmiths have to work withal.
The particular name of the people in Amapaia
which gave him these pieces are cftil^d^A.nebas,
and the river of Orinoco at that place is above
twelve English miles broad, which may be from its
outfall into the sea 700 or 800 miles.

This province of Amapaia JlS a v^y_low_and
marshy p^round near the river, and by reason of the
red water which issueth out in small branches
through the fenny and boggy ground, there breed
divers poisonous worms and serpents, and the
Spaniards not suspecting, nor in any sort fore-
knowing the danger, were infected with_^ grievous
kind of flux by drinking thereof, and even the very
horses poisoned therewith : insomuch as at the end
of the six months that they abode there, of all
their troops, there were not left above 120 soldiers,

I

I

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 47

and neither horse nor cattle. For Beri:eQ hoped
to have found Guiana by 1,000 miles nearer than >^
it fell out to be in the end, by means whereof they
sustained much want and much hunger, oppressed
with grievous diseases, and all the miseries that
could be imagined. I demanded of those in
Guiana that had travelled Amapaia how they lived
with that tawny or red water when they travelled
thither, and they told me that after the sun was
near the middle of the sky they used to fill their
pots and pitchers with that water, but either before
that time, or towards the setting of the sun, it was
dangerous to drink of, and in the night strong
poison. I learned also of divers other rivers of
that nature among them which were also (while the
sun was in the meridian) very safe to drink, and
in the morning, evening, and night wonderfully
dangerous and infective. From this province
Berreo hasted away as soon as the spring and be-
ginning of summer appeared, and sought his en-
trance on the borders of Orinoco, on the south
side, but there ran a ledge of so high and impas-
sable mountains as he was not able by any means
to march over them, continuing from the east sea,
into which Orinoco falleth, even to Quito, in

48 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

Peru ; neither had he means to carry victual
or munition over those craggy, high, and fast hills,
being all woody, and those so thick and spiny, and
so full of prickles, thorns, and briers, as it is im-
possible to creep through them. He had also neither
friendship among the people, nor any interpreter
to persuade or treat with them ; and more, to his
disadvantage, the Caziqui and kings of Amapaia
had given knowledge of his purpose to the Gui-
anians, and that he sought to sack and conquer the
empire, for the hop^_iiL_tlieir__so great abundance
and quantities of gold. He passedbytIie~mTTiiths
of many great rivers, which fell into Orinoco
both from the north and south, which I forbear to
name for tediousness, and because they are more
pleasing in describing than reading.

Berreo affirmed that there fell a hundred rivers
into Orinoco from the north and south, whereof
the least was as big as Eio Grande, that passeth
between Popayan and Nuevo reyno de Granada (Rio
Grande being esteemed one of the most renowned
rivers in all the West Indies, and numbered among
the great rivers of the world) ; but he knew not
the names of any of these, but Caroli only, neither
from what nations they descended, neither to what

I

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 49

provinces they led, for he had no means to dis-
course with the inhabitants at any time : neither
was he curious in these things, being utterly un-
learned, and not knowing the east from the west.
But of all these I got some knowledge, and of
many more, partly by mine own travel, and the
rest by conference : of some one I learned one, of
others the rest, having with me an Indian that
spoke many languages, and that of Guiana natur-
ally. I sought out all the aged men, and such as
were greatest travellers, and by the one and the
other I came to understand the situations, the
1 ivers, the kingdoms from the east sea to the bor-
ders of Peru, and from Orinoco southward as far
as Amazons or Maranon, and the regions of Maria
Tamball, and of all the kings of provinces and
captains of towns and villages, how they stood in
terms of peace and war, and which were friends
or enemies the one with the other, without which
there can be neither entrance nor conquest in those
parts, nor elsewhere. For by the dissension be-
tween Guascar and Atabalipa, Pizarro conquered
Peru, and by the hatred that the Traxcallians bare
to Montezuma, Cortez was victorious over Mexico,
without which both the one and the other had

50 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA-/

failed of their enterprise, and of the great honour
and riches which they attained unto.

Now Berreo began to grow into despair, and
looked for no other success than his predecessors
in this enterprise, until such time as he arrived at
the Province of Emeria, towards the east sea and
mouth of the river, where he found a nation of
people very favourable, and the country full of all
manner of victual. The king of this land is called
Carapa»ftj-frman very wise, subtle, and of great ex-
perience, being little less than one hundred years old.
In his youth he was sent by his father into the island
of Trinidad, by reason of civil war among themselves,
and was bred at a village in that island called
Parico; at that place in his youth he had seen
many Christians, both French and Spanish, and
went divers times with the Indians of Trinidad to
Marguerita and Cumana, in the West Indies (for
both those places have ever been relieved with
victual from Trinidad), by reason whereof he grew
of more understanding, and noted the difference of
the nations, comparing the strength and arms of
his country with those of the Christians, and ever
after temporised so, as whosoever else did amiss, or
was wasted by contention, Carapana kej^t himself

I

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 51

and bis country in quiet and plenty : he also held
peace with Cariba^s or cannibals, his neighbours,
and had free trade with alLjiadons. whosoever else
had war. ,

Berreo sojourned and rested his weak troop in
the f.ctwr\ of ngvapgr.a pjjy weelcs, and from him
learned the way anrl pfli=;.qfl.gft to (^uiana^ and the
riches and magnificence thereof; but being then
utterly unable to proceed, he determined to try his
fortune another year, when he had renewed his pro-
visions and re-gathered more force, which he hoped
for as well out of Spain as from Nuevo reyno,
where he had left his son, Don Anthonio Xemenes,
to second him upon the first notice given of
his entrance, and so for the present embarked him-
self in canoes, and by the branches of Orinoco
arrived at Trinidad, having from Carapana suffi-
cient pilots to conduct him. From Trinidad he
coasted Paria, and so recovered Marguerita : and
having made relation to Don Juan Sermiento, the
governor of his proceeding, and persuaded him of
the riches of Guiana, he obtained from thence
fifty soldiers, promising presently to return to
Carapana, and so into Guiana. But Berreo meant
nothing less at that time, for he wanted many pro-

52 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

visions necessary for such an enterprise, and there-
fore departing from Marguerita, seated himself in
Trinidad, and from thence sent his camp-master
and his sergeant-major back to the borders to dis-
cover the nearest passage into the Empire, as also
to treat with the borderers, and to draw them to
his party and love, without which he knew he
could neither pass safely, nor in any sort be re-
lieved with victual or aught else. Carapana
directed this company to a king called Morequito,
assuring them that no man could deliver so much
of Guiana as Morequito could, and that his dwell-
ing was but five days' journey from Macureguarai,
the first civil town of Guiana.

• Now your lordship shall understand that this
Morequito, one of the greatest lords or kings of
the borders of Guiana, had two or three years
before been at Cumana and at Marguerita, in the
West Indies, with great store of plates of gold,
which he carried to exchange for such other things
as he wanted in his own country, and was daily
feasted, and presented by the governors of those
places, and held amongst them some two months,
in which time one Vides^-govemor of Cumana,
wanted him to be his conductor into Guiana^ being

THE DISCOVERY OP GUIANA. 53

allured by those croissants and images of gold which
he brought with him to trade, as also by the
ancient fame and magnificence of El Dorado :
whereupon Yides sent into Spain for a patent to
discover and conquer Guiana, not knowing of the
precedence of Berreo's patent, which, as Berreo
aflfirmeth, was signed before that of Vides : so as
when Vides understood of Berreo, and that he
had made entrance into that territory, and fore-
gone his desire and hope, it was verily thought
that Vides practised with Morequito to hinder and
disturb Berreo in all he could, and not to suffer
him to enter through his seignory, nor any of his
companies, neither to victual nor guide them in
any sort; for Vides, governor of Cumaaa».--and
Berreo were become mortal enemies^ as well for that
Berreo had got Trinidad into his patent witl»
Guiana, as also in that he was by Berreo prevented
in the journey of Guiana itself. Howsoever, it was
I know not, but Morequito for a time dissembled
his disposition, suffered Spaniards and a friar
(which Berreo had sent to discover Manoa) to
travel through his country, gave them a guide for
Macureguarai, the first town of civil and apparelled
people, from whence they had other guides to

54 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

bring them to Manoa, the great city of Inga ; and
being furnished with those things, which they had
learned of Carapana were of most price in Guiana,
went onward, and in eleven days arrived at Manoa,
as Berreo affirmeth for certain : although I could
not be assured thereof by the lord which now
governeth the Province of Morequito, for he told
me that they got all the gold they had in other
towns on this side Manoa, there being many very
great and rich, and (as he said) built, like the towns
of Christians, with many rooms.

When these ten Spaniards were returned, and
ready to put out of the border of Arromaia, the
people_of Morequito set U£on them, and slew them
all but one, that swam the river, and took from
them to the value of 40,000 pesoes of gold, and as
it is written in the story of Job, one only lived to
bring the news to Berreo, that both his nine soldiers
and holy father were benighted in the said province.
I myself spoke with the captains of Morequito
that slew them, and was at the place where it was
executed. Berreo, enraged herewithal, sent all the
strength he could make into Arromaia, to be re-
venged of him, his people, and country ; but More-
quito suspecting the same, fled over Orinoco, and

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 55

through the territories of the Saima and Wikiri,
recovered Cumana, where he thought himself very-
safe with Yides, the governor. But Berreo sending
for him in the king's name, and his messengers
finding him in the house of one Fashardo on the
sudden, ere it was suspected, so as he could not
then be conveyed away, Vides durst not deny him,
as well to avoid the suspicion of the practice, as
also for that an holy father was slain by him and
his people. _Mpre£uito offered Fashardo the weight
of three quintals in gold to let him escape, but
the poor Guianian, betrayed of all sides, was
delivered to the camp-master of Berreo, and was
presently executed.

After the death of this Morequito, the soldiers
of Berreo spoiled his territory, and took divers
prisoners; among others, they took the uncle of
Morequito, called Topiawari, who is now king of
Arromaia (whose son T brought with me into Eng-
land), and is a man of great understanding and
policy : he is abovg one hundred ^ears old, and yet
of a very able body. The Spaniard^, led him in a
chain seventeen days, and made him their guide
from place to place between his country and
Emeria, the province of Carapana aforesaid, and

56 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

was at last redeemed for one hundred plates of
gold, and divers stones called Piedras Hijadas, or
spleen stones. Now Berreo, for executing of
Morequito and other cruelties, spoils, and slaughters
done in Arromaia, hath lost the love of the Orino-
coponij and of all the borderers, and dare not send
any of his soldiers any farther into the land than
to Carapana, which he calleth the port of Guiana :
but from thence, by the help of Carapana, he had
trade farther into the country, and always ap-
pointed ten Spaniards to reside in Carapana's town;
by whose favour, and by being conducted by his
people, those ten searched the country thereabouts
as well for mines as for other trades and com-
modities.

They have also gotten a nephew of Morequito,
whom they have christened and named Don Juan,
of whom they have great hope, endeavouring by all
means to establish him in the said province.
Among many other trades, those Spaniards used in
canoes to pass to the rivers of Barema, Pawroma,
and Dissequebe, which are on the south side of the
mouth of Orinoco, and there buy women and
children from the cannibals, which are of that
barbarous nature, as they will for three or four

■

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. o7

hatchets sell the sons and daughters of their own
brethren and sisters, and for somewhat more even
their own daughters : hereof the Spaniards make
great profit, for buying a maid of twelve or
thirteen years for three or four hatchets, they
sell them again at Marguerita, in the West Indies,
for fifty and one hundred pesoes, which is so many
crowns.

The master of my ship, John Douglas, took one
of the canoes which came laden from thence with
people to be sold, and the most of them escaped,
yet of those he brought there was one as well
favoured and as well shaped as ever I saw any
in England, and afterward I saw many of them,
which, but for their tawny colour, may be com-
pared to any of Europe. They also trade in those
rivers for bread of cassavi, of which they buy an
hundred pound weight for a knife, and sell it at
Marguerita for ten pesoes. They also recover
great store of cotton, Brazil wood, and those beds
which they call hamacas, or Brazil beds, wherein
in hot countries all the Sj)aniards use to lie com-
monly, and in no other ; neither did we ourselves
while we were there. By means of which trades,
for ransom of divers of the Guianians, and for ex-

58 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA;

change of hatchets and knives, Berreo recovered
some store of gold plates, eagles of gold, and
images of men and divers birds, and despatched
his camp- master for Spain with all that he had
gathered, therewith to levy soldiers, and by
the show thereof to draw others to the love of the
enterprise : and having sent divers images as well
of men as beasts, birds, and fishes so curiously
wrought in gold, doubted not but to jDersuade the
king to yield to him some further help, especially
for that this land hath never been sacked, the
mines never wrought, and in the Indies their
works were well spent, and the gold drawn out
with great labour and charge ; he also despatched
messengers to his son in Nuevo reyno to levy all
the forces he could, and to come down the river of
Orinoco to Emeria, the province of Carapana, to
meet him : he had also sent to Sant lago de Leon,
on the coast of the Caracas, to buy hoi-ses and
mules.

After I had thus learned of his proceedings past
and purposed, I told him that I had resolzed to
see Guiana, and ^at it was the end of my journey,
ancTEEe" cause of my coming, tojrinidad, as it was
indeed (and for that purpose I sent James Whiddon

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIAXA. 59

the year before to get intelligence, with whom
Berreo himself had speech at that time, and remem-
bered how inquisitive James Whiddon was of his
proceedings, and of the country of Guiana), Berreo —
was stricken into a great melancholy and sadness,

and used all the arguments he could to dissuade

me, and also assured the gentlemen of my company
that it would be labour lost ; and that they should
suffer many miseries if they proceeded. And first
he delivered that I could not enter any of the
rivers with any barque or pinnace, nor hardly
with any ship's boat, it was so low, sandy, and
full of flats, and that his companies were daily
grounded in their canoes, which drew but twelve
inches water He further said that none of the
country would come to^ speak with us, but would
all fly^^und if vv^^ollowed them to their dwellings
they would burn their own towns, and besides that
the way was long, the winter at hand, and that
the rivers beginning once to swell, it was impossible
stem the current, and that we could not in those
lall boats by any means carry victual for half
bhe time, and that (which indeed most discouraged
ly company) the kings and lords of all the
[borders and of Guiana had decreed that none of

60 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

them shoiild trade with any Christian for gold,
]^Ar^fl.ii-gA t.Tiq f^^anifi wnnlH hf> f.hpir fywn overthrow,
and that for the love of gold the Christians meant
to conquer and dispossess them of all together.

Many and the most of these I found to be true,
but yet I resolving to make trial of all whatsoever
happened, directed Captain George Gifford, my
Vice-admiral, to take the LiorCs Whelp, and Captain
Ciilfield his barque, to turn to the eastward, against
the breeze what they could possible, to recover the
mouth of a river called Capuri, whose entrance I
had before sent Captain Whiddon and John
Douglas, the master, to discover, who found some
nine foot water or better upon the flood, and five
at low water, to whom I had given instructions
that they should anchor at the edge of the shoal,
and upon the best of the flood to thrust over,
which shoal John Douglas buoyed and beckoned
for them before, but they laboured in vain, for
neither could they turn it up altogether so far to
the east, neither did the flood continue so long, but
the water fell ere they could have passed the sands,
as we after found by a second experience ; so as
now we must either give over our enterprise, or
leaving our ships at adventure four hundred miles

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 61

behind us, to run up in our ship's boats, one barge,
and two wherries, but being doubtful how to carry
victuals for so long a time in such babies, or any
strength of men, especially for that Berreo assured
us that his son must be by that time come down
with many soldiers, I sent away one King, master
of the LiovUs Whelp, with his ship's boat, to try
another branch of a river in the bottom of the bay
of Guanipa, which was called Am ana, to prove if
there were water to be found for either of the
small ships to enter. But when he came to the
mouth of Amana, he found it as the rest, but
stayed not to discover it thoroughly, because he
was assured by an Indian, his guide, that the
cannibals of Guanipa would assail them with many
canoes, and that they shot poisoned arrows, so as
if he hasted not back they should all be lost.

In the meantime, fearing the worst, I caused all
the carpenters we had to cut down a gallego boat,
which we meant to cast off, and to fit her with
banks to row on, and in all things to prepare her
the best they could, so as she might be brought to
draw but five foot, for so much we had on the bar
of Capuri at low water. And doubting of King's
return, I sent John Douglas again in my long

62 THE DISCOVERY OP GUIANA.

barge, as well to relieve him as also to make a
perfect search in the bottom of that bay, for it
hath been held for infallible that whatsoever
ship or boat shall fall therein can never disembark
again, by reason of the violent current which
setteth into the said bay, as also for that the
breeze and easterly wind bloweth directly into the
same, of which opinion I have heard John Hamp-
ton of Plymouth, one of the greatest experience of
England, and divers others besides that have traded
Trinidad.

I sent with John Douglas an old Cazique of
Trinidad for a pilot, who told us that we could not
return again by the bay or gulf, but that he knew
a bye branch which ran within the land to the
eastward, and that he thought by it we might fall
into Capuri, and so return in four days. John
Douglas searched those rivers, and found four
goodly entrances, whereof the least was as big as
the Thames at Woolwich, but in the bay thither-
ward it was shoal and but six-foot water, so as we
were now without hope of any ship, or barque to
pass over, and therefore resolved to go on with the
boats, and the bottom of the gallego, in which we
thrust sixty men ; in the Lion's Whelp's boat and

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 63

wherry we carried twenty. Captain Calfield, in his
wherry, carried ten more, and in my barge another
ten, which made up a hundred. We had no other
means but to carry victuals for a month in the
same, and also to lodge therein as we could, and to
boil and dress our meat. Captain Gifford had with
him Master Edward Porter, Captain Eynos, and
eight more in his wherry, with all their victuals,
weapons, and provisions. Captain Calfield had with
him my cousin, Butshead Gorges, and eight more.
In the galley, of gentlemen and officers myself
had Captain Thyn, my cousin John Greenville, my
nephew, John Gilbert, Captain Whiddon, Captain
Keymis, Edward Hancock, Captain Clarke, Lieuten-
ant Hewes, Thomas Upton, Captain Facy, Jerome
Ferrar, Anthony Wells, William Connock, and
about fifty more. We could not learn of Berreo^
any other way to enter but in branches, so far to the
windward as it was impossible for us to recover,
for we had as much sea to cross over in our
wherries as between Dover and Calais, and in a
great billow, the wind and current being both very
strong, so as we were driven to go in those small
boats directly before the wind into the bottom of
the Bay of Guanipa, and from thence to enter the

64 THE DISCOVERY OP GUIANA.

mouth of some one of those rivers, which John
Douglas had last discovered, and had with us for
pilot an Indian of Barema, a river to the south of
Orinoco, between that and the Amazons, whose
canoes we had formerly taken as he was going
from the said Barema, laden with cassavi bread to
sell at Marguerita ; this Arwacan promised to
bring me into the great river Orinoco, but indeed
of that which we entered he was utterly ignorant,
for he had not seen it in twelve years before, at
which time he was very young, and of no judg-
ment, and if God had not sent us another help, we
might have wandered a whole year in that labyrinth
of rivers, ere we had found any way, either out or
in^ especially after we were past the ebbing and
flowing, which was in four days : for I know all
the earth doth not yield the like confluence of
streams and branches, the one crossing the other
so many times, and all so fair and large, and so
like one to another, as no man can tell which to
take, and if we went by the sun or compass, hoping
thereby to go dii'ectly one way or other, yet that
way we were also carried in a circle amongst
multitudes of islands, and every island so bordered
with high trees, as no man could see any farther

I

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 6*5

than the breadth of the river or length of the
breach. But this it chanced that entering into a
river (which because it had no name we called the
river of the Red Cross, ourselves being^ the first
Christians tbfifct— e£fir_j?ame therein), the 22nd of
May, as we were rowing up the same, we espied
a small canoe_with three Indians, which, by the
swiftness of my barge, rowing with eight oars, I
overtook ere they could cross the river ; the rest of
the people on the banks, shadowed under the thick
wood, gazed on with a doubtful conceit what might
befall those three which we had taken. But
when they perceived that we offered them no
violence, neither entered tEeiF canoe with any of
ours, nor took out of the canoe any of theirs, they
then begaiL ta—shoss^Jbhemselves on the bank's
side, and offered to traffic with us for such things
as they had, and as we drew near they all stayed,
and we came with our barge to the mouth of a
little creek, which came from their town into thi^
great river.

As we abode there a while, our Indian pilot,

called Ferdinando, would needs go ashore to their

village to fetch some fruits, and to drink of their

irtificial wines, and also to see the place, and to

c-67

66 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

know the lord of it against another time, and
took with him a brother of his which he had with
him in the journey ; when they came to the village
of these people, the lord of the island offered to
lay hands on them, purposing to have slain them
both, yielding_for reasoiLJihat_jtHs Jndian^f_o
had brought a strange nation into their territory to
spoil and 4*^s^^^^y them- But the pilot, being quick
and of a disposed body, slipped their fingers, and
ran into the woods, and his brother being the
better footman of the two, recovered the creek's
mouth, where we stayed in our barge, crying out
that his brother was slain ; with that we set hands
on one of them that was next us, a very old man,
and brought him into the barge, assuring him
that if we had not our pilot again, we would
presently cut off his head. This old man being
resolved that he should pay the loss of the other,
cried out to those in the woods to save Ferdinando,
our pilot, but they followed him notwithstanding,
and hunted after him upon the foot with their deer
dogs, and with so main a cry that all the woods
echoed with the shout they made, but at last this
poor chased Indian recovered the river side, and
got upon a tree, and as we were coasting, leaped

THE DISCOVERY OP GUIANA. 67

down and swam to the barge, half dead with fear ;
but our good hap was that we kept the other old
Indian, which we handfasted to redeem our pilot
withal, for being natural of those rivers, we
assured ourselves he knew the way better than
any stranger could, and indeed, but for this chance
I think we had never found the way either to
Guiana or back to our ships : for Ferdinando, after
a few days, knew nothing at all, nor which way to
turn ; yea, and many times the old man himself was
in greaJLdiiiibtwhich river to take. Those people
which dwell in these broken islands and drowned
lands are generally called Tiuitiuas ; there are of
them two sorts, the one called Ciawani, and the
other Waraweete.

The great river of the Orinoco or Baraquan hath
nine branches, which fall out on tlie north side of
his own main mouth ; on the south side it hath
sevpTi other fallings into the sea, so it disembogueth
by sixtpen arms in all, between islands and broken
ground, but the islands are very great, many of
them as big as the Isle of Wight and bigger, and
many less ; from the first branch on the north to
the last of the south it is at least a hundred
leagues, so as the river's mouth is no less than

68 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

three hundred miles wide at its entrance into the
sea, whieh I take to be far bigger than that of the
Amazons ; all those that inhabit in the mouth of
this river upon the several north branches are
these Tiuitiuas, of which there are two chief lords,
which have continual wars one with the other.
The islands which lie on the right hand are called
Pallamos, and the land on the left Hororotomaka,
and the river by which John Douglas returned
within the land from Amana to Capuri, they call
Macuri.

These Tiuitiuas are a very goodly people and
veryjvaliant, and have the most manlyspeech and
inmost deliberate that ever I heard, of what nation
soever. In the summer they have houses on the
ground, as in other places ; in the_wmter they
dwell - upon__the__trees, where they build very
artificial towns and villages, as it is written in
the Spanish story of the West Indies, that those
people do in the low lands near the Gulf of Uraba ;
for between May and September the river of the
Orinoco riseth thirty foot upright, and then are
those islands overflown twenty foot high above the
level of the ground, saving some few raised grounds
in the middle of them ; and for this cause they are

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 69

enforced to live in this manner. _ Theyjiever eat
of anything^that is set or sown, and as at home
they use neither planting nor other manuring, so*
when they come abroad they refuse to feed of
aught but of that which Nature without labour
bringeth forth. They use the tops of palmitos for
bread,, and kill deer, fish, and pork for the rest of
their sustenance; they have also many sorts of
fruits that grow in the woods, and great variety of
birds and fowl.

And if to speak of them were not tedious and
vulgar, surely we saw in those passages of very
rare colours and forms, not elsewhere to be found,
forasmuch as I have either seen or read. Of
these people, those that dwell upon the branches of
the Orinoco, called Capuri and Macureo, are for the
mQ§t_part carpenters of canoes, for they ma^ the
most and fairest houses, and sell them into Guiana
for gold, and into Trinidad for tobacco, in the
excessive taking whereof they exceed all nations ;
and notwithstanding the moistness of the air in
which they live, the hardness of their diet, and the
great labours they suffer to hunt, fish, and fowl for
their living, in all my life, either in the Indies or
in Europe, did I never behold a more goodly or

70 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

better favoured people, or a more manly. They
were wont to make war upon all nations, and
especially upon'the cannibals, so as none durst with-
out a good strength trade by those rivers ; but of
late they are at peac^_Bfith their neighbours, all
holding the Spam'fl.rrjs^JPnr^. rinrmnnn enemy.
When their commanders die, they use great
lamentation, and when they think the flesh of
their ^^^^'^° ^°i_ p"^^^^#H and fallen from the bones,
then they take up the carcase again, and hang^ it in
the Cazique's house that died, and deck his skull
with feathers of all colours, and hang all his gold
plates about the bones of his arms, thighs, and
legs. Those nations which are called Arwacas,
which dwell on the south of the Orinoco (of which
place and nation our Indian pilot was), are dis-
persed in many other places, and do use to beat
the bones of their lords into powder, and their
wives and friends drink it all in their several sorts
of drinks.

After we departed from the port of these
Ciawani we passed up the river with the flood,
and anchored the ebb, and in this sort we went
onward. The third day that we entered the river
our galley came on ground, and stuck so fast as

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 71

we thought that even there our discovery had
ended, and that we must have left sixty of our
men to have inhabited like rooks upon trees with
those nations : but the next morning, after we had
cast out all her ballast, with tugging and hauling
to and fro, we got her afloat, and went on. At
four days end we fell into as goodly a river as ever
I beheld, which was ^nlj^'^] thft ^rpnt Amann^ which

rfl.n morft flirftp.tly wit,V>ni|t wmdiTiors and turnings

than the other. But soon after the flood of the
sea left us, and we enforced either by main strength
to row against a violent current, or to return as
wise as we went out, we had then no shift but to
persuade the companies that it was but two or
three days' work, and therefore desired them to
take pains, every gentleman and others taking
their turns to row, and to spell one the other at
the oar's end. Every day we passed by goodly
branches of rivers, some falling from the west,
others from tlie east, into Amana, but those I leave
to the description in the chart of discovery, where
every one shall be named, with his rising and
descent. When three days more were overgone,
our compamee— began to despair, the weather being
extremely hot, the river bordered with very high

72 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA,

trees that kept away the air, and the current
against us every day stronger than other. But
we evermore commanded our pilots to promise an
end the next day, and used it so long as we were
driven to assure them from four reaches of the
river to three, and so to two, and so to the next
reach ; but so long we laboured as many days were
spent, and so driven to draw ourselves to harder
allowance, our bread even at the last, and no
drink at all ; and our men and ourselves so
wearied and scorched, and doubtful withal whether
we should ever perform it or no, the heat in-
creasing as we drew towards the line : for we were
now in five degrees.

The farther we went on (our victual decreasing
and the air breeding great faintness) we grew
weaker and weaker when we had most need of
strength and ability, for hourly the river ran more
violentlv than other against us, and the barge,
wherries, and ship's boat of Captain Gifford and
Captain Calfield had spent all their provisions, so
as we were brought into despair and discomfort,
had we not persuaded all the company that it was
but only one day's work more to attain the land,
where we should be relieved of all we wanted, and

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 73

if we returned that we were sure to starve by the
way, and that the world would also laugh us to
scorn. On the banks of these rivers were divers
sorts of fruits good to eat, flowers and trees of that
variety as were sufficient to make ten volumes of
herbals; we relieved ourselves many times with thQ
fruits of the country, and sometimes with fowl and
fish ; we saw birds of all colours, some carnation,
some crimson, orange tawny, purple, green,
watched, and of all other sorts both simple and
mixed, as it was unto us a great good passing of
the time to behold them, besides the relief we
found by killing some store of them with our
fowling pieces, without which, having little or no
bread and less drink, but only the thick and
troubled water of the river, we had been in a very
hard case.

Our old pilat-oLtha_Ciawani (whom, as I said
'before, we took to redeem Ferdinando) told us,
that if we would enter a branch of a river on the
right hand with our barge and wherries, and leave
he galley at anchor the while in the great river,
he would bring us to a town of . the Arwacas
where we should .find store of bread, hens^ fish,
and of the country wine, and persuaded us that

74 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

departing from the galley at noon, we miglit
return ere night. I was very glad to hear this
speech, and presently took my barge, with eight
musketeers, Captain GifFord's wherry with himself
and four musketeers, and Captain Calfield with his
wherry and as many, and so we entered the mouth
of this river, and because we were persuaded that
it was so near, we took no victual with us at all.
When we had rowed three hours we marvelled we
saw no sign of any dwelling, and, asked the pilot
where the town was : he told us ^ litt-l^^ fn.rtliP.r
After three hours more, the sun being almost set,
we began to suspect that he led us that way to
betriWF'-us^ixir he confessed that those Spaniards
which fled from Trinidad, and also those that
remained with Carapana in Emeria, were joined
together in some village upon that river. But
when it grew towards night, and we demanding
where the place was, he told us but four reaches
more. When we had rowed four and four, we
saw no sign, and our poor watermen, even heart-
broken and tired, were ready to give up the
ghost ; for we had now come from the galley near
forty miles.

At the last we determined to hang the pilot.

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 75

and if we had well known the way back again by-
night, he had surely gone, but our own necessities
pkaded_sufficiently for his safety ; for it was'^as'
dark as pitch, and the river began so to narrow
itself, and the trees to hang over from side to side,
as we were driven with arming swords to cut a
passage through those branches that covered the
water. "We were very desirous to find this town,
hoping of a feast, because we made but a short
breakfast aboard the galley in the morning, and it
was now eight o'clock at night, and our stomachs
began to gnaw apace ; but whether it was best to
return or go on, we began to doubt, suspecting
treason in the pilot more and more. But the poor
old Indian ever assured us that it was but a little
farther, and but this one turning, and that
turning, and at last about one o'clock_after..mid-
night we saw a light, and rowing towards it, we
heard the dogs of the village. When we landed
we found few people, for the lord of that place was
gone with divers canoes above 400 miles off, upon
a journey towards the head of the Orinoco to trade
for gold, and to buy women of the cannibals, who
afterwards unfortunately passed by us as we rode
at an anchor in the port of Morequito in the dark

73 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

of night, and yet came so near us, as his canoes
grated against our barges. He left one of his
company at the port of Morequito, by whom we
understood that he had brought thirty young
women, divers plates of gold, and had great store
of fine pieces of cotton cloth and cotton beds. In
his house we had good store of bread, fish, hens,
and Indian drink, and so rested that night; and
in the morning, after we had traded with such of
his people as came down, wa returned towards
our galley, and brought with ua some quantity of
bread, fish, and hens.

On both sides of this river we passed themost
beautiful, country that five.ii,min£L-£y£S beheld ;
and whereas all that we had seen before was
nothing but woods, prickles, bushes, and thorns,
here we beheld plains of twenty miles in length,
the grass short and green, and in divers parts
groves of trees by themselves, as if they had been
by all the art and labour in the world so made of
purpose ; and still as we rowed, the deer came
down feeding by the water side, as if they had
been used to a keeper's call. Upon this river
there were great store of fowl, and of many sorts ;
we saw in it divers sorts of strange fishes, and of

I

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIASTA. 77

marvellous bigness; but for lagartos it exceeded,
for there were thousands of those ugly serpents,
and the people call it, for the abundance of them,
the river of lagartos in their language. I had a
negro, a very proper young fellow, who leaping out
of the galley to swim in the mouth of this river,
was in all our sights taken and devoured by one
of those lagartos. In the meanwhile our com-
panies in the galley thought we had been all lost
(for we promised to return before night), and sent
the Lion's Whelps ship's boat with Captain
Whiddon to follow us up the river ; but the next
day after we had rowed up and down some four-
score miles we returned, and went on our way up
the great river ; and when we were even at the last
cast for want of victuals. Captain Gifford being
before the galley and the rest of the boats, seeking
out some place to land upon the banks to make
fire, espied four canoes coming down the river, and
with no small joy caused his men to try the utter-
most of their strength, and after a while two of the
four gave over, and ran themselves ashore, every
man betaking himself to the fastness of the woods ;
the two other lesser got away, while he landed to
lay hold of these, and so turned into some by creek,

78 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

we knew not whither : those canoes that were
taken were laden with bread, and were bound for
Marguerita in the West Indies, which those
Indians (called Arwacas) purposed to carry thither
for exchange. But in the lesser there were three
Spaniards, who having heard of the defeat of their
governor in Trinidad, and that we purposed to
enter Guiana, came away in those canoes : one of
them was a cavallero, as the captain of the Ar-
wacas after told us^ another a soldier, and the
third a refiner.

In the meantime, nothing on the earth could have
been.more welcome to us next unto gold than the
great store of vg^iy excellent bread which we found
in these canoes, for now our men cried, " Let us go
on, we care not how far." After that Captain
Gilford had brought the two canoes to the galley,
I took my barge and went to the bank side with
8 dozen shot, where the canoes first ran themselves
ashore, and landed there, sending out Captain Gif-
ford and Captain Thyn on one hand, and Captain
Calfield on the other, to follow those that were fled
into the woods, and as I was creeping through the
bushes, I sa^y fl.n Indian basket hidden, which was
the refiner'^ basket, for I found in it liis gmVksilver.

I

I

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 79

saltpetre, and divers things for the trial of metals,
and also the dust of such ore as he had refined ;
but in those canoes which escaped there^was a good
quantity of ore and gold. I then landed more
men, and ottei'M X/iUU to what soldier soever could
take one of those three Spaniards that we thought
were landed. But our labours were in vain in that
behalf, for they put themselves into one of the
small canoes, and so while the greater canoes were
in taking they escaped ; but seeking after the
Spaniards, we found the Arwacas hidden in the
woods which were pilots for the Spaniards, and
rowed their canoes ; of which I kept the chiefest
for a pilot, and carried him with me to Guiana, by
whom I understood jwhere ^nd In wligf. f^mmt.ripg
the Spaniards had laboured for gold, though I made
not the same known to all, for when the springs
began to break, and the rivers to raise themselves
so suddenly as by no means we could abide the
digging of any mine, especially for that the richest
are defended with rocks of hard stone, which we
call the white spar, and that it required both
time, men, and instruments fit for such a work, I
thought it best not to hover thereabouts, lest if the
same had been perceived by the company, there

80 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

would have been by this time many barks and
ships set out, and perchance other nations would
also have gotten of ours for pilots, so as both our-
selves might have been prevented, and all our care
taken for good usage of the people been utterly
lost by those that only respect present profit, and
such violence or insolence offered as the nations
which are borderers would have changed their
desire of our love and defence into hatred and
violence. And for any longer stay to have brought
a more quantity (which I hear hath been often
objected), whosoever had seen or proved the fury
of that river after it began to rise, and had been a
month and odd days as we were from hearing
aught from our ships, leaving them meanly manned
above 400 miles off, would perchance have turned
somewhat sooner than we did, if all the mountains
had been gold or rich stones. And to say the
truth, all the branches and small rivers which fell
into the Orinoco were raised with such speed, as if
we waded them over the shoes in the morning out-
ward, we were covered to the shoulders homeward
the very same day : and to stay to dig out gold
with our nails had been opus laboris, but not
ingeniij such a quantity as would have served our

r

THE DISCOVERY OP GUIANA. 81

turns we could not have had, but a discovery of
the mines to our infinite disadvantage we had
made, and that could have been the best profit of
further search or stay; for those mines are not
easily broken, nor opened in haste, and I could
have returned a good quantity of gold ready cast,
if I had not shot at another mark than present
profit.

Xhis Arwacan pilot with the rest, feared that we
would have eaten them, or otherwise have put
them to some cruel death, for the Spaniards, to the
end that none of the people in the passage towards
Guiana or in Guiana itself might come to speech
with us, persuaded all the nations that we were
men eaters and cannibals ; but when the poor
men and women had seen us, and that we gave
them meat, and to every one something or other,
which was rare and strange to them, they be-
gan to conceive the deceit and purpose of the
Spaniards, who indeed (as they confessed) took
from them both their wives and daughters daily,
by strength. But I protest before the majesty
of the living God, that I neither know nor be-
lieve that any of our company one or other, by
violence or otherwise, ever took any of their

82 THE DISCOVERY OF GTJIANA.

■women, and yet we saw many hundreds, and had
many in our power, and of those very young and
excellently favoured which came among us without
deceit.

Nothing got us more love among them than this
usage, for I suffered not any man to take from any
of the nations so much as a pine, or a potato root,
without giving them contentment, nor any man
so much as offer to touch ^nx_of_ theii* wives
or daughters, which course, so^figntrary to the
Spaniards (who tyrannise over them in all things),
drew them to admire her Majesty, whose com-
mandment I told them it was, and also wonder-
fully to honour our nation. But I confess it was a
very impatient work to keep the meaner sort from
spoil and stealing, when we came to their houses,
which because in all I could not prevent, I caused
my Indian interpreter at every place when we de-
parted to know of the loss or wrong done, and if
aught were stolen or taken by violence, either the
same was restored, and the party punished in their
sight, or else it was paid for to their uttermost
demand. They also much wondered at us, after
they heard that we had slain the Spaniards at
Trinidad, for they were before resolved that no

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 83

nation of Christians durstabide their BJZfisence, and
they wondered "more when I had made them know
of the great overthrow that her Majesty's army
and fleet had given them of late yeara in their own
countries.

After we had taken in this supply of bread, with
divers baskets of roots, which were excellent meat,
I gave one of the canoes to the Arwacas, which
belonged to the Spaniards that were escaped ; and
when I had dismissed all but the captain (who by
the Spaniards was christened Martin), I sent back
in the same canoe the old Ciawan, and Ferdinando,
my first pilot, and gave them both such things as
they desired, with sufficient victual to carry them
back, and by them wrote a letter to the ships,
which they promised to deliver, and performed it,
and then I went on with my new hired pilot,
Martin the Arwacan; but the next or seconcTday
after we came~agrmrrrd again with our galley, and
were like to cast her away with all our victual and
provision, and so lay on the sand one whole night,
and were far more in despair at this time to free
her than before, l^ecause we had no tide of flood to
help us, and therefore feared that all our hopes
would have ended in mishaps ; but we fastened an

84 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

anchor upon the land, and with main strength
drew her off; and so the fifteenth day .we dis-
covered afar off the mountains of Guiana to our
great joy, and towards the evening had a slent of
a northerly wind that blew very strong, which
brought us in sight of the great river of the
Orinoco, out of which this river descended wherein
we were ; we descried afar off three other canoes
as far as we could discern them, after whom we
hastened with our barge and wherries, but two of
them passed out of sight, and the third entered up
the great river, on the right hand to the westward,
and there stayed out of sight, thinking that we
meant to take the way eastward towards the pro-
vince of Carapana, for that way the Spaniards
keep, not daring to go upwards to Guiana, the
people in those parts being all their enemies, and
those in the canoes thought us to have been those
Spaniards that were fled from Trinidad, and had
escaped killing ; and when we came so far down as
the opening of that branch into which they slipped,
being near them with our barge and wherries, we
made after them, and ere they could land, came
within call, and by our interpreter told them what
we were, wherewith they came back willingly

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 85

aboard us ; and of such fish and tortugas' eggs as
they had gathered, they gave us, and promised
in the morning tq bring the_lQrd of that part-
with them^_and to do us all other services they
could.

That night we came to an anchor at the parting
of three goodly rivers ; the one was the river of
Amana, by which we came from the north, and ran
athwart towards the south, the other two were of
the Orinoco, which crossed from the west and ran to
the sea towards the east, and landed upon a fair
sand, where we found thousands of tortugas' eggs,
which are very wholesome meat, and greatly re-
storing, so as our men were now well filled and
highly contented both with the fare and nearness
of the lan.d of Guiana, which appeared in sight. In
the morning there came down according to promise
the lord of that border called Toparimaca, with
some thirty or forty followers, and brought us
divers sorts of fruits, and of his wine, bread, fish,
and flesh, whom we also feasted as we could ; at
least he drank good Spanish wine, whereof we had
a small quantity in bottles, which ,ahfixajalL- things
they__lpye. I conferred with this ^oparimaca of
the next way to Guiana, who conducted our galley

86 THE DISCOTERY OP GUIANA.

and boats to his own port, and carried us from
thence some mile and a half to his town, where
some of our captains caroused of his wine till they
were reasonably pleasant, for it is very strong with
pepper, and the juice of divers herbs, and fruits
digested and purged ; they keep it in great earthen
pots of ten or twelve gallons very clean and sweet,
and are themselves at their meetings and feasts the
greatest carousers and drunkards of the world.
When we came to his town we found two Caziques,
whereof one of them was a stranger that had been
up the river in trade, and his boats, people, and
wife encamped at the port where we anchored, and
the other was of that country a follower of
Toparimaca : they lay each of them in a cotton
hamaca, which we call brasil beds, and two women
attending them with six cups and a little ladle to
fill them, out of an earthen pitcher of wine, and so
they drank each of them three of those cups at a
time, one to the other,r and in this sort they drink
drunk at their feasts and meetings.

That Cazique that was a stranger had his wife
staying at the port where we anchored, and in all
my life I have seldom seen a b?Mer_favoured
woman. She was of good^stature, with black eyes,

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 87

fat of body, of an excellent countenance, her hair
almost as long as herself, tied up again in pretty
knots, and it seemed she stood not in that awe of
her husband as the rest, for she spake and dis-
coursed, and drank among the gentlemen and
captains, and was very pleasant, knowing her own
comeliness, and taking great pride therein. I
have seen a lady in England so like her, as but for
the difference of colour I would have sworn might
have been the same.

The seat of this town of Toparimaca was very
pleasant, standing on a little hill, in an excellent
prospect, with goodly gardens a mile compass round
about it, and two very fair and large ponds of
excellent fish adjoining. This town is called
Arowacai : the people are of the nation called
Nepoios, and are followers of Carapana. In that
place I saw very age(J. pfioplg,J:hat we might per-
ceive all their sinews and veins without any flesh,
and but even as a case covered only with skin.
The lord of this place jgaye me an old man for
pilot, who was of great experience and travel, and
knew the river most perfectly both by day and
night, and it shall be requisite for any man that
passeth it to have such a pilot, for it is four, five,

88 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

and six miles over in many places, and twenty
miles in other places, with wonderful eddies and
strong currents, many great islands and divers
shoals, and many dangerous rocks, and besides
upon any increase of wind so great a billow, as we
were sometimes in great peril of drowning in the
galley, for the small boats durst not come from the
shore but when it was very fair.

The next day we hastened thence, and having
an easterly wind to help us, we spared our arms
from rowing ; for after we entered the Orinoco, the
river lieth for the most part east and west, even
from the sea unto Quito in Peru. This river is
navigable with ships little less than 1,000 miles,
and from the place where we entered it may be
sailed up in small pinnaces to many of the best
parts of Nuevo reyno de Granado, and of Popayan :
ajid'^BOia-ji£L4ilaesjiiiay^the cities of these parts of
the Indies be so easily taken aud invaded da irom
hence. All that day we sailed up a branch of
that river, having on the left hand a great island,
which they call Assapana, which may contain some
five and twenty miles in length, and six miles in
breadth, the great body of the river running on the
other side of this island : beyond that middle

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 89

branch there is also another island in the river,
called Iwana, which is twice as big as the Isle of
Wight, and beyond it, and between it and the main
of Guiana, runneth a third branch of the Orinoco
called Arraroopana : all three are goodly branches,
and all navigable for great ships. I judge the
river in this place to be at least thirty miles broad,
reckoning the islands which divide the branches
in it, for afterwards I sought also both the other
branches.

After we reached to the head of this island,
called Assapana, a little to the westward on the
right hand there opened a river which came from
the north, called Europa, and fell into the great
river ; and beyond it, on the same side, we anchored
for that night, by another island six miles long, and
two miles broad, which they call Ocaywita. From
hence in the morning we landed two Guianians,
which we found in the town of Toparimaca, that

came with us, who went to give notice of our
coming to the lord of that country called
Putyma, a follower of Topiawari, chief lord
of Arromaia, who succeeded Morequito, whom,
as you have heard before, Berreo put to death,
but his town bein? far within the land, he

90 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

came not unto us that day, so as we anchored
again that night near the banks of another island,
of bigness much like the other, which they call
Putapayma, on the main land, over against which
island was a ^ery high mountain called Oecope :
we coveted to anchor rather by these islands in the
river than by the main, because of the tortugas'
6ggs, which our people found on them in great
abundance, and also because the ground served
better for us to cast our nets for fish, the main
banks being for the most part stony and high, and
the rocks of a blue metalline colour, like unto the
best steel ore, which I assuredly take it to be : of
the same blue stone are also divers great mountains,
which border this river in many places.

The next morning towards nine of the clock we
weighed anchor, and the breeze increasing, we
sailed always west up the river, and after a while
opening the land on the right side, the country ap-
peared to be champaign, and the banks showed very
perfect red. I therefore sent two of the little
barges with Captain Gifford, and with him Captain
Thyn, Captain Caltield, my cousin Greenvile, my
nephew John Gilbert, Captain Eynus, Master
Edward Porter, and my cousin Butshead Gorges,

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 91

with some few soldiers, to march over the banks of
that red land, and to discover what manner of
country it was on the other side, who at their
return found it all a plain level, as far as they went
or could discern, from the highest tree they could
get upon : and my old pilot, a man of great travel,
brother to the Cazique Toparimaca, told me, that
those were called the plains of the Sayma, and that
the same level reached to Cumana, and Carracas in
the West Indies, which are 120 leagues to the
north, and that there inhabited four principal
nations. The first wasjhe Sayma, the next Assa-
w^i, the third and o^reatest the Wikiri. by whom
Pedro Hernandez de Serpa before mentioned was
overthrown, as he passed with three hundred horse
from Cumana towards the Orinoco, in his enterprise
of Guiana ; the fourth are called A T'Ara.Sj and are as
Hack-aS-Uggroes, but have smooth hair, and these
are very valiant, or rather desperate^people, and
have the most strong poison on_thftir arrows, and
most dangerous of all nations, of which poison I
will speak somewhat, being a digression not unne-
cessary.

There was nothing whereof I was more curious
than to find out the true remedies of these poisoned

92 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

arrows, for besides the mortality of the wound they
make, the party shot endureth the most insufferable
torment in the world, and abideth a most ugly and
lamentable death, sometimes dying stark mad,
sometimes their bowels breaking out of their bellies,
and are presently discoloured, as black as pitch,
and so unsavoury, as no man can endure to cure or
to attend them. And it is more strange to know,
that in all this time there was never Spaniard,
either by gift or torment, that co\ild attain to the
true knowledge of the cure, although they have
martyred and put to invented torture I know not
how many of them. But every one of these
Indians know it not, no, not one among thousands,
but their soothsayers and priests, who do conceal
it, and only teach it but from the father to the
son. f-^(^:).^ aO^v^S

Those medicines which are vulgar, and serve for
the ordinaiy poison, are made of the juice of a
root called Tupara : the same also quencheth
marvellously the heat of burning fevers, and
healeth inward wounds, and broken veins, that
bleed within the body. But I was more beholding
to the Guianians than any other, for Antonio de
Berreo told me that he could never attain to the

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 93

knowledge thereof, and yet they taught me the
best way of healing as well thereof, as of all other
poisons. Some of the Spaniards have been cured
in ordinary wounds of the common poisoned arrows
with the juice of garlic ; but this is a general rule
for all men that shall hereafter travel the Indies
where poisoned arrows are used, that they must
abstain from drink, for if they take any liquor into
their body, as they shall be marvellously provoked
thereunto by drought, I say, if they drink before
the wound be dressed, or soon upon it, there is no
way with them but present death.

And so I will return again to our journey which
for this third day we finished, and cast anchor
again near the continent, on the left hand between
two mountains, the one called Aroami, and the
other Aio. I made no stay here but till midnight,
for I feared hourly lest any rain should fall, and
then it had been impossible to have gone any
further up, notwithstanding that there is every
day a very strong breeze and easterly wind. I
deferred the search of the country on the Guiana
side till my return down the river. The next day
we sailed by a great island in the middle of the
river, called Manoripano, and as we walked a

94 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

while on the island, while the galley got ahead of
us, there came after us from the main a small canoe
with Rfivftn oy eight Guianians, tqjiyite us to
anchor at their port, but I deferred it till my re-
turn ; it was that Cazique to whom those Nepoios
went, which came with us from the town of Topa-
rimaca ; and so the fifth day we reached as high
lip as the province of Arromaia, the country of
Morequito whom Berreo executed, and anchored to
the west of an island called Murrecotima, ten miles
long and five broad ; and that night the Cazique
Aramiari (to whose town we made our long and
hungry voyage out of the river of Amana) passed
by us.

The next day we arrived at the port of
Morequito, and anchored there, sending away one
of our pilots to seek the king of Aromaia, uncle to
Morequito, slain by BeiTeo as aforesaid. The next
day following before noon he came to us on foot
from his house, which was fourteen English miles
(himself being 110 years old), and returned on foot
the same day, and with him many of the borderers,
with many women and children, that came to
wonder at our nation, and to bring us down victual,
which they did in great plenty, as venison, pork,

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 95

hens, chickens, fowl, fisb, with divers sorts of
excellent fruits, and roots, and great abundance of
pines, the princess of fruits, that grow under the
sun, especially those of Guiana. They brought us
also store of bread, and of their wine, and a sort
of Paraquitos, no bigger than wrens, and of all
other sorts both small and great ; one of them
gave me a beast called by the Spaniards Armadillo,
which they call Cassacam, which seemeth to be all
barred over with small plates somewhat like to a
rhinoceros, with a white horn growing in its hinder
parts, as big as a great hunting horn, which they
used to wind instead of a trumpet. Monardus
writeth that a little of the powder of that horn
put into the ear cureth deafness.

After this old king had rested a while in a little
tent that I caused to be set up, I began by ray
interpreter to discourse with him of the death
of Morequito his predecessor, and afterwards of the
Spaniards, and ere I went any further I made him
know the cause of my coming thither, whose
servant I was, and that the Queen's pleasure was,
I -ahQuld-^uadeilaka^the-^v^age for theiy defence,
and to deliver_^them from the tyranny of the
Spaniards, dilating at large (as I had done before

96 THE DISCOVERY OP GUIANA.

to those of Trinidad) her Majesty's greatness, her
justice, her charity to all oppressed nations, with
as many of the rest of her beauties and virtues
as either I could express or they conceive, all
which being with great admiration attentively
heard, and marvellously admired, I began to sound
the old man as touching Guiana and the state
thereof, what sort of commonwealth it was, how
governed, of what strength and policy, how far it
extended, and what nations were friends or enemies
adjoining, and finally of the distance, and way to
enter the same : he told me that himself and his
people, with all those down the river towards the
sea, as far as Emeria, the province of Carapana,
were of Guiana, but that they called themselves
Orinocoponi, because _they bordered the great river
of the Orinoco, and that all the nations between the
river and those mountains in sight called Wacarima
were of the same cast and appellation ; and that on
the other side of those mountains of Wacarima
there was a large plain (which after I discovered
in my return) called the valley of Amariocapana ;
in all that valley the people were also of the ancient
Guianians. I asked what nations those were
which inhabited on the further side of those

THE DISCOVERY OP GUIANA. 97

mountains, beyond the valley of Amariocapana ;
he answered with a great sigh (as a man which had
inward feeling of the loss of his country and
liberty, especially for that his eldest son was slain
in a battle on that side of the mountains, whom he
most entirely loved) that he remembered in his
father's lifetime, when he was very old and him-
self a young man, that there came down into that
large valley of Guiana, a nation from so far off as
the sun slept (for such were his own words), with
so great a multitude as they could not be numbered
nor resisted, and that they wore large coats and
hats of crimson colour, which colour he expressed
by showing a piece of red wood wherewith my tent
was supported, and that they were called Oreiones,
and Epuremei, those that had slain and rooted out
so many of the ancient people as there were leaves
in the wood upon all the trees, and had now made
themselves lords of all, even to that mountain foot
called Curaa, saving only of two nations, the one
called Iwarawaqueri, and the other Cassipagotos, and
that in the last battle fought between the Epuremei
and the Iwarawaqueri, his eldest son was chosen
carry to the aid of the Iwarawaqueri a great
troop of the Orinocoponi, and was there slain, with
D— 67

i

98 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

all his people and friends, and that he had now re-
maining but one son; and farther told me that those
Epuremei had built a great town called Macure-
guarai, at the said mountain foot, at the beginning
of the great plains of Guiana, which have no end :
and that their houses have many rooms, one over
the other, and that therein the great king of the
Oreiones and Epuremei kept three thousand men
to defend the borders against them, and withal
daily to invade and slay them ; but that of late
years, since the Christians offered to invade his
territories and those frontiers, they were all at
peace, and traded one with another, saving only
the Iwarawaqueri, and those other nations upon
the head of tVie river of Carol i, called Cassipagotos,
which we afterwards discovered, each one holding
the Spaniard for a common enemy.

After he had answered thus far, jbe desii;ed
leave to depart, saying that he had far to go, that
he was old and weak, and was every day called
for by death, which was also his own phrase. I de-
sired him to rest with us that night, but I could
not intreat him, but he told me that at my return
from the country above, he would again come to
us, and in the meantime provide for us the best

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 99

he could, of all that his country yielded ; the same
night he returned to Orocotona, his own town, so
as he went that day twenty-eight miles, the
weather being very hot, the country being situate
between four and five degrees of the Equinoctial.
This Topiawari is held for the- proudest and wisest
of all the Orinocoponi, and so he behaved himself
towards me in all his answers at my return, as I
marvelled to find a man of that gravity and judg-
ment, and of so good discourse, that had no help of
learning nor breeding.

The next morning we also left the port, and
sailed westward up the river, to view the famous
river called Caroli, as well because it was marvel-
lous of itself, as also for that I understood it led to
the strongest nations of all the frontiers, that were
enemies to the Epuremei, which are subjects to
Inga, Emperor of Guiana and Manoa; and that
night we anchored at another island called Caiama,
of some five or six miles in length, and the next
day arrived at the mouth of Caroli. When we were
short of it as low or further down as the port of
Morequito we heard the great roar and fall of the
river, but when we came to enter with our barge
and wherries, thinking to have gone up some forty

100 THE DISCOVERY OP GUIANA.

miles to the nations of the Cassipagotos, we were not
able with a barge of eight oars to row one stone's
cast in an hour, and yet the river is as broad as the
Thames at Woolwich, and we tried both sides and
the middle, and every part of the river, so as we
encamped upon the banks adjoining, and sent off
our Orinocopone (which came with us- from
Morequito) to give knowledge to the nations upon
the river of our being there, and that we desired
to see the lords of Canuria, which dwelt within
the province upon that river, making them know
that we were enemies to the Spaniards (for it
was on this river side that Morequito slew
the friar, and those nine Spaniards which came
from Manoa, the city of Inga, and took from
them 40,000 pesoes of gold), so as the next
day there came down a lord or Cazique called
Wanuretona with many people with him, and
brought all store of provisions to entertain us, as
the rest had done. And as I had before made my
coming known to Topiawari, so did I acquaint this
Cazique therewith, and how I was sent by her
Majesty for the purpose aforesaid, and gathered
also what I could of him touching the estate of
Guiana, and I found that those also of Carol i were

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 101

not only enemies to the Spaniards but most of all
to the Epuremei, which abound in gold ; and by
this Wanuretona I had knowledge that on the
head of this river were three mighty nations,
which were seated on a great lake, from whence
this river descended, and were called Cassipagotos,
Eparagotos, and Arawagotos, and that all those
either against the Spaniards or the Epuremei would
join with us, and that if we entered the land over
the mountains of Curaa, we should satisfy ourselves
with gold and all other good things. He told us
further of a nation called Iwarawagueri before
spoken of, that held daily war with the,.E^remej^
that inhabited Macureguarai, the first civil town of
G uiana, of the subjects of Inga the. Emperor.

Upon this river one Captain George, that I took
with Berreo, told me there was a great.sihiei?~minej
and that it was near the banks of the said river.
But by this time as well Orinoco, Caroli, as all the
rest of the rivers were risen four or five feet in
height, so as it was not possible by the strength
of any men, or with any boat whatsoever, to row
into the river against the stream. I therefore
sent Captain Thyn, Captain Greenvile, my nephew
John Gilbert, my cousin Butshead Gorges, Captain

i

102 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

Clarke, and some thirty shot more, to coast the
river by land, and to go to a town some twenty
miles over the valley called Amnatapoi, and if
they found guides there, to go further towards
the mountain foot to another great town, called
Capurepana, belonging to a Cazique called
Haharacoa (that was a nephew to old Topiawari,
King of Arromaia, our chiefest friend), because
this town and province of Capurepana adjoined to
Macuregiiarai, which was the frontier town of the
empire. And the meanwhile myself, with Captain
Gifford, Captain Calfield, Edward Hancocke, and
some half a dozen shot, marched over land to view
the strange overfalls of the river of Caroli, which
roared so far off, and also to see the plains ad-
joining, and the rest of the province of Canuri. I
sent also Captain Whiddon, W. Connocke, and
some eight shot with them, to see if they could
find any mineral stone along the river side. When
we ran to the tops of the first hills of the plains
adjoining to the river, we beheld that wonderful
breach ^f waters which ran down Caroli ; and
might from that mountain see the river how it ran
in three parts, about twenty miles off, and there
appeared some ten or twelve overfalls in sight.

THE DISCOVERT OF GUIANA. 103

every one as high over the other as a church tower,
which fell with that fury that the rebound of
waters made it seem as if it had been all covered
over with a great shower of rain ; and in some
places we took it at the first for a smoke that had
risen over some great town. For mine own part
I was well persuaded from thence to have re-
turned, being a very ill footman, but the rest were
all so desirous to go near the said strange thunder
of waters, as they drew me on by little and little,
till we came into the next valley, where we might
better discern the same. I never saw a more
beautiful -CQimtry, nor more lively prospects, hills
so raised here and there over the valleys, the river
winding into divers branches, the plains adjoining
without bush or stubble, all fair green grass, the
ground of hard sand, easy to march on either for

j horse or foot ; the deer crossing in every path ;
the birds towards the evening singing on every
tree, with a thousand several tunes ; cranes and

[Jberons of white, crimson, and carnation perching
on the river side ; the air fresh with a gentle
easterly wind, and every stone that we stooped to
take up promised either gold or silver by his com-
plexion. Your lordships shall see of many sorts,

^^ W.p^

104 THE DISCOVERY OP GUIANA.

and I hope some of them cannot be bettered under
the sun, and yet we had no means but with our
daggers and fingers to tear them out here and
there, the rocks being most hard of that mineral
spar aforesaid and is like a flint, and is altogether
as hard, or harder, and besides, the veins lie a
fathom or two deep in the rocks. But we wanted
all things requisite save only our desires and good
will to have performed more if it had pleased God.
'To^be short, when both our companies returned,
each of them brought also several sorts of stone
that appeared very fair, but were such as they
found loose on the ground, and were for the most
part but coloured, and had not any gold fixed in
them ; yet such as had no judgment or experience
kept all that glistered, and would not be persuaded
but it was rich because of the lustre, and brought
of those, and of marquesite withal from Trinidad,
and have delivered of those stones to be tried in
many places, and have thereby bred an opinion
that all the rest is of the same ; yet some of these
stones I showed afterwards to a Spaniard of the
Caracas who told me that it was El Madre deloro,
and that the mine was further in the ground. But
it shall be found a weak policy in me either to

I

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. r 1 105

betray myself or my country with imaginations,
neither am I so far in love with that lodging,
watching, care, peril, diseases, ill-savours, bad
fare, and many other mischiefs that accompany
these voyages, as to woo myself again into any of
them, were I not assured that the sun covereth not
so much riches in any part of the earth. Captain
Whiddon and our chirurgeon, Nicholas Mille-
chap, brought me a kind of^ stones like sapphires ;
what they may prove I know not. I showed them
to some of the Orinocoponi, and they promised to
bring me to a mountain that had of them very
large pieces growing diamond wise. Whether it
be crystal of the mountain, Bristol diamond, or
sapphire. I do not yet know, but I hope the best ;
sure I am that the place is as likely as those from
whence all the rich stones are brought, and in the
same height, or very near. On the left hand of
this river Caroli are seated those nations which
are called Iwarawaqueri before remembered, which
are enemies to the Epuremei ; and on the head of
! it, adjoining to the great lake Cassipa, are situate
those other nations which also resist Inga, and the
Epuremei, called Cassepagotos, Eparegotos, and
Arawagotos. I further understood that this lake

106 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

of Cassipa is so large, as it is above one day's
journey for one of their canoes to cross, which
may be some forty miles, and that therein fall
divers rivers, and that great store of grains of
gold are found in the summer time when the lake
falleth by the banks in those branches. There is
also another goodly river beyond Caroli which is
called Arui, which also runneth through the lake
Cassipa, and falleth into the Orinoco further west,
making all that land between Caroli and Arui an
island, which is likewise a most beautiful country.
Next unto Arui there are two rivers, Atoica and
Caora, and on that branch which is called Caora
are a nation of people whose, heads .appear not
above their shoulders, which though it may be
thought a mere fable, yet for mine own part I am
resolved it is true, because every child in the pro-
vinces of Arromaia and Canuri affirm the same.
They are called_^Ewaipanonia, They are reported
to have their eyes in their shoulders, and their
Uiout^s- in -the middle of their breasts, and that a
long train of hair groweth backward between their
^houlders. The son of Topiawari, which I brought
with me into England, told me that they are the
most inighty^ meii^of all the land, and use bows.

I

I

THE DISCOVERY OP GUIANA. 107

arrows, and clubs thrice as big as any of Guiana
or of the Orinocoponi, and that one of the Iwara-
waqueri took a prisoner of them the year before our
arrival there, and brought him into the borders of
Arromaia his father's country. And further, when
I seemed to doubt of it, he told me that it was no
wonder among them, but that they were as great a
nation, and as common as any other in all the
provinces, and had of late years slain many hun-
dreds of his father's people, and of other nations
their neighbours; but it was not my chance to hear
of them till I was come away, and if I had but
spoken one word of it while I was there, I might
have brought one of them with me to put the
matter out of doubt. Such a nation was written
of by Maundeville, whose reports were held for
fables many years, and yet since the East Indies
were discovered, we find his relations true of such
things as heretofore were held incredible. Whether
it be true or no the matter is not great, neither
can there be any profit in the imagination; for
mine own part I saw them not, but I am resolved
that so many people did not all combine or fore-
think to make the report.

When I came to Cumana in the West Indies

108 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

afterwards, by chance I spake__mth _a ^jmniard
dwelling not far from thence, a man of great
travel, and after he knew that I had been in
Guiana, and so far directly west as Caroli, the first
question he asked me was whether I had seen any
of the Ewaipanoma, which are those without heads^
who being esteemed a most honest man of his
word, and in all things else, told me that he had
seen many of them : I may not name hina. because
it may be for his disadvantage, but he is well
known to Monsieur Mucheron's son, of London,
and to Peter Mucheron, merchant of the Flemish
ship that was there in trade, who also heard what
he avowed to be true of those people. The fourth
river to the west of Caroli is Casnero, which falleth
into the Orinoco on this side of Amapaia, and that
river is greater than Danubius, or any of Europe :
it riseth on the south of Gaiana from the moun
tains which divide Guiana from Amazones, and I
think it to be navigable many hundred miles. But
we had no time, means, nor season of the year to
search those rivers for the causes aforesaid, the
winter being come upon us, although the winter
and summer as touching cold and heat differ
not, neither do the trees ever sensibly lose their

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 109

leaves, but have always fruit either ripe or green,
and most of them both blossoms, leaves, ripe fruit,
and green at one time ; but their winter only con-
sisteth of terrible rains_ and overflfi»^dliga_QL-the
river.Sr-^tli many great storms and gusts, thunder
and lightnings, of which we had our fill ere we
returned. On the north side, the first river that
falleth into the Orinoco is Cari ; beyond it on the
same side is the river of Limo ; between these two is
a great nation of cannibals, and their chief town
beareth the name of the river, and is called Acama-y^^^j^Cg. I
cari. At this town is a continual market pf wompm^ ->
fpr three pi^ fnnr ]iafr>'hA4ja-a piVr^^j they are bought 1 J I
by the Arwacas, and by them sold into the West o( I
Indies. To the west of Limo is the river Pao, /-^i^
beyond it Caturi, beyond that Voari and Capuri,
which falleth out of the great river of Meta, by
which Berreo descended from Nuevo reyno de
Granada. To the westward of Capuri is the
province of Amapaia, where Berreo wintered, and
had so many of his people poisoned with the tawny
water of the marshes of the Anebas. Above
Amapaia, toward Nuevo reyno, fall in Meta, Pato,
and Cassanar ; to the west of these towards the
provinces of the Ashaguas and Catetios are the

110 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

rivers ofJBetaJDawney, and Ubarro, a,nd towards the
frontier of Peru are tjie prnvinnftR of ThnTYiphflrnha.
and Caximalta. Adjoining to Quito in the north of
Peru are the' Tivers of Guiacar and Goauar ; and
on the other side of the said mountains the river
of Papamene, which descendeth into Maranon or
Amazones, passing through the province of Muty-
lones, where Don Pedro de Osua, who was slain l»y
the traitor Agiri before rehearsed, built his brigan-
dines, when he sought Guiana by the way of the
Amazones. Between Dawny and Beta lieth a
famous island in Orinoco, now called Baraquan
(for above Meta it is not known by the name of
Orinoco), which is called Athule, beyond which,
ships of burden cannot pass by reason of a most
forcible overfall and current of waters : but in the
eddy all smaller vessels may be drawn even to
Peru itself. But to speak of more of these rivers
without the . description were but tedious, and
therefore I will leave the rest to the description.
This river of Orinoco is navigable for ships
little less than 1,000 miles, and for lesser vessels
near 2,000. By it, as aforesaid, Peru, Nuevo
reyno, and Popayan, may be invaded ; it also
leadeth to that great empire of Inga^ and to the

I

I

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. Ill

provinces of Amapaia and Anebas, which abound
in gold : his branches of Cosnero, Manta, Caora
descend from the middle land and valley, which
lieth between the eastern province of Peru and
Guiana ; and it falls into the sea between Mara-
non and Trinidad in two degrees and a half, all
which your honours shall better perceive in the
general description of Guiana, Peru, Nuevo reyno,
the kingdom of Popayan, and Roidas, with the
province of Venezuela, to the bay of Uraba behind
Carthagena westward ; and to Amazones south-
ward. While we lay at anchor on the coast of
Canuri, and had taken knowledge of all the nations
upon the head and branches of this river, and had
found out so many several people, which were
enemies to the Epuremei and the new conquerors,
I thought it time lost to linger any longer in that

place, especially for that the fury of the Orinoco

began daily to threaten us with dangers in our
return, for no half-day passed but the river began
to rage and overflow very fearfully, and the rains
came down in terrible showers, and gusts in great
abundance : and withal, our men began to cry out
for want of shift, for no man had place to bestow
any other apparel than that which he wore on his

112 THE DISCOVERY OP GUIANA.

back, and that was thoroughly washed on his body
for the most part ten times in one day : and we
had now been well near a month, every day passing
to the westward further and further from our ships.
We therefore turned towards the east, and spent
the rest of the time in discovering the river towards
the sea, which we had not yet viewed, and which
was most material. The next day following we
left the mouth of Caroli, and arrived again at the
port of Morequito where we were before (for
passing down the stream we went without labour,
and against the wind, little less than 100 miles
a day). As soon as I came to anchor, I sent away
one, for old Topiawari, with whom I much desired
"Eo Kave"further conference, and also to deal with
him for some one of his country to bring with us
into Engiancl. as well to learn the language as to
confer withal by the way, the time being now
spent of any longer stay thera Within three hours
after my messenger came to him, he arrived also,
and with him such a rabble of all sorts of people,
and every one laden with something, as if it had
been a great market or fair in England : and our
hungry companies clustered thick and threefold
among their baskets, every one laying hand on what

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. llo

I

• he liked. After he had rested awhile in my tent,
I shut out all but ourselves and my interpreter,
and told him that I knew that both the Epuremei
and the Spaniards were enemies t-ft ^^'^i liis
country, and nations : that the one had conquered
Guiana already, and that the other sought to
regain the same from them both. And therefore I
desired him to instruct me what he could, both of"
the passage into the golden parts of Guiana, and
to the civil towns and apparelled people of Imia^
He gave me airanswer to this effect : fii«Btr- that he
did not perceive that I meant to go onward to-
wards the city of Manoa,_for neither the tinie of
the year served, neither could he perceive any
sufficient mi|nbfti;sjor such an enterprise ; and if
I did, I was sure with all my company to be
buried there, for that the Emperor was of that
strength, as that many times so many men more
were too few ; besides, he gave me this good coun-

Isel and advised me to hold it in mind, as for him-
self he knew, he could not live till my return, that
I should not offer by any means hereafter to invade
the strong parts of Guiana without the help of all
those nations which were also their enemies : for
--—" "

114 THE DISCOVEEY OP GUIANA.

conducted, to be victualled, or to have aught
carried with us, ourpeop]^ t)^^ V>Ainpr gV>lft tn ^i^^^lnvf^
the march in so great heat and travel, unless the
borderers gave them help, to carry wdth them both
their meat and furniture, for he remembered that
in the plains of Macureguarai 300 Spaniards were
overthrown, who were tired out, and had none
of the borderers to their friends, but meeting their
enemies as they passed the frontier, were environed
on all sides, and the people setting the long dry
grass on fire, smothered them so as they had no
breath to fight, nor could discern their enemies for
the great smoke. He told me further that four
days' journey from his town was Macureguarai, and
that those were the next and nearest of the subjects
of Inga, and of the Epuremei, and the first town of
apparelled and rich people, and that all those
plates of gold which were scattered among the
borderers, and carried to other nations far and
near, came from the said Macureguarai, and were
there made, but that those of the land within were
far finer, and were fashioned after the image of
men, beasts, birds, and fishes. I asked him
whether he thought that those companies that I
had there with me were sufficient to take that

I

THE DISCOVERT OF GUIANA. 115

town or no ; lie told me that lie thought they were.
I then asked him whether he would assist me with
guidiSS^-and some companies of his people to join
with us ; he answered that he would go himself
with all the borderers, if the rivers did remain
fordable, upon this condition that I would leave
with him till my return again fifty soldiers, which
he undertook to victual ; I answered that I had
not above fifty good men in all there, the rest were
labourers and rowers, and that I had no provision
to leave with them of powder, shot, apparel, or
aught else, and that without those things necessary
for their defence, they should be in danger of the
Spaniards in my absence, who I knew would use
the same measure towards mine that I ofiered
them at Trinidad ; and, although upon the motion
Captain Calfield, Captain Grenvile, my nephew,
John Gilbert, and divers others were desirous to
stay, yet I was resolved that they must needs
have perished, for Berreo expected daily a supply
out of Spain, and looked also hourly for his son to
come down from _Nuevo reyno de Granada, with
many horse_and foot,^nd had also in Yalentia in
the Caracas, 200 horse ready to march, and I could
not have spared above forty, and had not any

116 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

sfcore_,aii-4iin nf powdar^ lead, or match to have left
with them, nor any other provision, either spade,
pickaxe, or aught else to have fortified withal.
When I had given him reason that I could not at
this time leave him such a company, he then de-
sired me to forbear him and his country for that
time, for he assured me that I should be no sooner
three days from the coast, but thosfi__EpiLmmfii
would invade him, and destroy all the remain of liis
people and friends, if hp shnnid any wav either guide ^
us or assist us against them. He further alleged
that the Spaniards sought his death, and as they
had already murdered his nephew, Morequito, lord
of that province, so they had him seventeen days
in a chain before he was king of the country, and
led him like a dog from place to place, until he
had paid 100 plates of gold, and divers chains of
spleen stones, for his ransom ; and now since he
became owner of that province that they had many
times laid wait to take him, and that they would
be now more vehement when they should under-
stand of his conference with the English, and be-
cause, said he, they would the better displant me,
if they cannot lay hands on me, they have gotten
a nephew of mine called Eparacano, whom they

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA./ / ^^T^JjJ,

have christened Don Juan, and his son Don Pedro,
whom they have also apparelled and armed, by whom
they seek to make a party against me, in mine own
country : he also hath taken to wife one Louiana,
of a strong family, which are my borderers and
neighbours : and myself being now old, and in the
hands of death, am not able to travel nor to shift,
as when I was of younger years; he therefore prayed
us to defer it till the next year, when he would
undertake to draw in all the borderers to serve
us, and then also it would be more seasonable to
travel, for at this time of the year we should not be
able to pass any river, the waters were and would be
so grown ere our return. Tf r further told me that I
could not desire so much to invade Macuregua»ri
and the rest of Guiana, but that the borderers
would be more vehement than I, for he yielded for
a chief cause that in j;he wars with the Epuremei
they wera. Epoilsd_ofl thfiiiiJ^onien, and that their
wives and daughters were taken from them, so
as for their own parte thoy dooired nothmg-trf
the g^l4-^^T"tT'M"'ii" fill' l;h^ir labonrgj but only to
recover women from the Epuremei : for he further
complained very sadly (as if it had been a matter^
of great consequence), that whereas they were

118 THE DISCOVERY OF GTJIANA.

wont to have ten or twelve wives, they were now
enforced to content themselves with three or four,
and that the lords of the Epuremei had fifty or
0»©- hH»di;:ed. And in truth they were, more for
women than either for gold or dominion. For the
lords of countries desire many children of their
own bodies, to increase their races and kindreds,
for in those consist their greatest trust and
strength. Divers of his followers afterwards
desired me to make haste again, that they might
sack the Epuremei, and I asked them of what?
They answered, of their women for us, and their
gold for youj_ for the hope of many of those women
they more desire the war, than either for gold, or
for the recovery of their ancient territories. For
what between the subjects of Inga, and the
Spaniards, those frontiers are grown thin of people,
and also great numbers are fled to other nations
further off for fear of the Spaniards. After I re-
ceived this answer of the old man, we fell into con-
sideration, whether it.hnd hnen of bp.ttp.r a,dvine
to have entered "M fl,rjn:eguaral>^ai]iL,to. have begun
a war upon Inga, atj^his time^jyea_or no, if the
time of the year and all things else had sorted.
For mine own part (as we were not able to march

I

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 119

it for the rivers, neither had any such strength
as was requisite, and durst not abide the coming of
the winter, or to tarry any longer from our ships),
I thought it very evil counsel to have attempted
it at that time, although the desire of gold will
answer many objections. But it would have been
in my opinion an utter overthrow to the enterprise,
if the same should be hereafter by her Majesty
attempted : for then (whereas now they have
heard we were enemies to the Spaniards and were
sent by her Majesty to relieve them) they would as
good cheap have joined with the Spaniards at our
return, as to have yielded unto us, when they had
proved that we came both for one errand, and that
both sought but to sack and spoil them. But as yet
our desire of gold^ or our purpose of invasion, is not'
known unto those of the empire : and it is likely
that if her Majesty undertake the enterprise, they
will rather^bmit themsfilzes to her obedience than
to the Spaniards, of whose cruelty both themselves
and the borderers have already iasted; and, there-
fore, till I had known her Majesty's pleasure, I
would rather have lost the sack of one or two
towns, although they might have been very profit-
able, than to have defaced or endangered the

)L/of V € ^ ^^iy

1

120 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

future hope of so many millions, and the great
good and rich trade which England may be
possessed of thereby. T am assured now that they
will all die even to the last man against the
Spaniards, in hope of our succour and return :
whereas otherwise if I had either laid hands on the
borderers, or ransomed the lords as Berreo did, or
invaded the subjects of Inga, I know all had been
lost for hereafter. After that I had resolved
Topiawari, lord of Aromaia, that I could not at
this time leave with him the companies he desired,
and that I was contented to forbear the enterprise
against the Epuremei till the jiext year^ he freely
prn.vft mp. his orily son to t^ake with me into England,
and hoped, that though he himself had but a short
time to live, yet that by our means his son should
be established after his death : and I left with him
one Francis Sparrow, a servant of Captain Gifford,
w^ho was desirous to tarry, and could describe a
country with his pen, and a boy of mine called
Hugh Goodwin, to learn the language. I after
asked the manner how the Epuremei wrought those
plates of gold, and how they could melt it out of
the stone ; he told me that the most of the gold
which they made in plates and images was not

yK severed from the stone, but that on the lake of
' Manoa, and in a multitude of other rivers, they
gathered it in grains of perfect gold, and in pieces
as big as small stones, and that they put to it a
part of copper, otherwise they could not work it,
and that they used a great earthen pot with holes
round about it, and when they had mingled the gold
and copper together, they fastened canes to the
holes, and so with the breath of men they increased

[the fire till the metal ran, and then they cast it
into moulds of stone and clay, and so make those
plates and images. I have sent your honours of
two sorts such as I could by chance recover, more
to show the manner of them than for the value :
for I did not in any soi-t make my desire for gold,^
known, because I had neither time nor power to
have a greater quantity. I gave among them many

rmore pieces of gold than Ireceived ol tne new
money of twenty shillings with her Majesty's pic-
ture to wear, with promise that they would become
her servants thenceforth.

I have also sent your honours of the ore,
whereof I know some is as rich as the earth 1
yieldeth any, of which I know there is sufficient, /
if nothing else were to be hoped for. But besides j

4^u fC/VH^

122 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

that we were not able to tarry and search the hills,
so we had neither pioneers, bars, sledges, nor
wedges of iron, to break the ground, without
which there is no working in mines : but we saw
all the hills with stones of the colour of gold and
silver, and we tried them to be no marquesite,
and therefore such as the Spaniards call El Madre
del oro, which is an undoubted assurance of the
general abundance ; and myself saw the outside of
many mines of the white spar, which I know to be
the same that all covet in this world, and of those
more then I will speak of.

Having learned what I could in Canuri and
Aromaia, and received a faithful promise of the
principalest of those provinces to become ser-
vants to her Majesty, and to resist the Spaniards,
if they made any attempt in our absence, and that
they would draw in the nations about the lake of
Cassipa, and those Iwarawaqueri, I then parted
from old Topiawari, and received his son for a
pledge between us, and left with him two of ours
as aforesaid. To Francis Sparrow I gave instruc-
tions to travel to Macureguarai, with such mer-
chandises as I left with him, thereby to learn the
place, and if it were possible to go on to the

THE DISCOVEEY OF GUIANA. 123

great city of Manoa : which being done, we
weighed anchor, and coasted the river on Guiana
side, because we came up on the north side, by the
lanes of the Saima and Wikiri.

There came with us from Aromaia a Cazique
called Putijma, that commanded the province of
Warapana (which Putijma slew the nine Spaniards
upon Caroli before spoken of), who desired us to
rest at the port of his country, promising to bring
us to a mountain adjoining to his town that had
stones of the colour of gold, which he performed.
And after we had rested there one night, I went
myself in the morning, with most of the gentlemen
of my company^ overland towards the said moun-
tain, marching by a river side called Mana, leav-
ing on the right hand a town called Tuteritona,
standing in the province of Tarracoa, of which
Wariaaremagoto is principal. Beyond it lieth
another town towards the south, in the valley of
Amariocapana, which beareth the name of the
said valley, whose plains stretch themselves some
sixty miles in length, east and west, as fair ground,
and as beautiful fields, as any man hath ever seen,
with divers copses scattered here and there by
the river side, and all as full of deer as any

124 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

forest or park in England, and in every lake and
river the like abundance of fish and fowl, of which
Irraparragota is lord.

From the river of Mana we crossed another
river in the said beautiful valley called Oiana,
and rested ourselves by a clear lake, which lay in
the middle of the said Oiana, and one of our
guides kindling us a fire with two sticks, we
stayed awhile to dry our shirts, which with the
heat hung very wet and heavy on our shoulders.
Afterwards we sought the ford to pass over to-
wards the mountain called Iconuri, where Putijma
foretold us of the mine. In this lake we saw one
of the great fishes, as big as a wine pipe, which
they call Manati, and is most excellent and whole-
some meat. But after I perceived that to pass
the said river would require half a day's march
more, I was not able myself to endure it, and
therefore I sent Captain Keymis with six shot to
go on, and gave him order not to return to the
port of Putijma, which is called Chiparepare, but
to take leisure, and to march down the said valley,
as far as a river called Cumaca, where I promised
to meet him again (Putijma himself promising
also to be his guide). And as they marched, they

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 125

left the towns of Empai-epana and Capurepana on
the right hand, and marched from Putijma's house
down the said valley of Araariocapana, and we re-
turning the same day to the river side, saw by
the way many rocks, like unto gold ore, and on
the left hand a round mountain which consisted of
mineral stone.

From hence we rowed down the stream, coasting
the province of Parino; as for the branches of
rivers which I overpass in discourse, those shall
be better expressed in the description with the
mountains of Aio, Ara, and the rest, which are
situate in the provinces of Parino and Carricurrina.
When we were come as far down as the land
called Arriacoa (where Orinoco divideth itself
into three great branches, each of them being most
goodly rivers), I sent away Captain Henry Thyn
and Captain Greenvile with the galley the nearest
way, and took with me Captain Gifford, Captain
Calfiekl, Edward Porter, and Captain Eynos with
mine own barge, and the two wherries, and went
down that branch of the Orinoco Avhich is called
Cararoopana, which leadeth towards Emeria, the
province of Carapana, and towards the east sea, as
well to find out Captain Keymis, whom I had sent

126 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

overland, as also to acquaint myself with Carapana,
who is one of the greatest of all the lords of the
Orinocoponi ; and when we came to the river of
Cumaca (to which Putijma promised to conduct
Captain Keymis) I left Captain Eynos and Master
Porter in the said river to expect his coming, and
the rest of us rowed down the stream towards
Emeria.

In this branch called Cararoopana were also
many goodly islands, some of six miles long, some
often, and some of twenty; when it grew towards
sunset, we entered a branch of a river that fell
into the Orinoco called Winicapora, where I was
informed of the mountain of crystal, to which in
truth, for the length of the way, and the evil
season of the year, I was not able to march, nor
abide any longer upon the journey : we saw it
afar off, and it appeared like a white church tower
of an exceeding height. There falleth over it a
mighty river which toucheth no part of the side of
the mountain, but rusheth over the top of it and
falleth to the ground with a terrible noise and
clamour, as if 1,000 great bells were knocked
one against another. I think there is not in the
world so strange an overfall, nor so wonderful to

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 127

behold. Berreo told me that it hath diamonds

I

and other precious stones on it, and that they
shined very far off; but what it hath I know not,
neither durst he or any of his men ascend to the
top of the said mountain, those people adjoining
being his enemies (as they were), and the way to it
so impassible.

Upon this river of Winicapora we rested a
while, and from thence marched into the country
to a town called after the name of the river,
whereof the chief was one Timitwara, who also
offeradto conduct me to the top of the said moun-
tain called Wacarima^ but when we came in first
to the house of the said Timitwara, being upon
one of their feast days, we found them all as
drunk as beggars, and the pots walking from one
to another without rest. We that were weary, and
hot with marching, were glad of the plenty,
though a small quantity satisfied us, their drink
being very strong and heady, and so rested our-
selves awhile. After we had fed, we drew ourselves
back to our boats, upon the river, and there came
to us all the lords of the country, with all such
kind of victual as the place yielded, and with
their delicate wine of pines, and with abundance

128 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

of hens, and other provisions, and of those stones
which we call spleen-stones. We understood by
these chieftains of Winicapora, that their lord,
Carapana, was departed from Emeria which was
now in sight, and that he was fled to Cairamo,
adjoining to the mountains of Guiana, over the
valley called Amariocapana, being persuaded by
those ten Spaniards which lay at his house that
we would destroy him and his country.

But after these Caziqui of Winicapora and
Saporatona his foUo>Kera..^^rceived our purpose,
and saw that we came asjnemies tp the Spaniards
only, and had not so much as harmed any of those
nations ; no, though we found them to be of the
Spaniard's own servants, tha-sL assured us^that
Carapana would hft as rpiady to serve us as any
of the lords of the provinces which we had passed;
and that he durst do no other till this day but
entertain the Spaniards, his country lying so
directly in their way, and next of all other to
any entrance that should be made in Guiana on
that side.

And they further assured us that it was not
for fear of our coming that he was removed, but
to be _ac<.fuiUcd of thu&o [)paniards or anv other

PUq!{(^2,\

jo^^ s^^d y^ ^(^^^^^^^^^(

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 129

^^H^at should come hereafter. For the province of
Cairoma is situate at the mountain foot, which
(livideth the plains of Guiana from the countries
of the Orinocoponi : by means whereof if any
should come in our absence into his towns, he
would slip over the mountains into the plains of
Guiana among the Epuremei, where the Spaniards
durst not follow him without great force.

But in my opinion, or rather I assure myself,
that Carapana (being a notable wise and subtle
fellow, a man of one hundred years of age, and
therefore of great experience) is removed to look
on, and if he find that we return strong, he will be
ours ; if not, he will excuse his departure to the
Spaniards, and say it was for fear of our coming.

We therefore thought it bootless to row so far
down the stream, or to seek any further for this
old fox ; and therefore from the river of Warica-
pana (which lieth at the entrance of Emeria) we
turned again, and left to the eastward those four
rivers which fall from out the mountains of
Emeria and the Orinoco, which are Waracapari,
Coirama, Akaniri, and Iparoma : below those four
are also these branches and mouths of the Orinoco,
which fall into the Est Sea, whereof the first is
E— 67

130 THE DISCOVERY OF GFIANA.

Araturi, the next Amacura, the third Barima, the
fourth Wana, the fifth Morooca, the sixth Paroma,
the last Wijmi : beyond them there fall out of
the land between the, Orinoco and Amazons four-
teen^rivers^ which I forbear to name, inhabited by
the Arwacas andLcannibals.

It is now time to return towards the north, and
we found it a wearisome way back, from the bor-
ders of Emeria, to recover up again to the head of
the river Carerupana, by which we descended, and
where we parted from the galley, which I directed
to take the next way to the port of Toparimaca,
by which we entered first.

All the night it was stormy and dark, and full
of thunder and great showers, so as we were
driven to keep close by the banks in our small
boats, being all heartily afraid both of the billows
and terrible current of the river. By the next
morning we recovered the mouth of the river of
Cumaca, where we left Captain Eynos and
Edward Porter to attend the coming of Captain
Keymis over-land ; but when we entered the same,
they had heard no news of his arrival, which bred
in us a great doubt what might be become of him.
I rowed up a league or two further into the river,

1 L [N^HnoK'iotox k.kii/x.

THE DISCOVEEY OF GUIANA. 131

looting off pieces all the way. that he migai know
[of our being there, and the next morning we heard
[them answer ns also with a piece. "We took them
[aboard us, and took our leave of Putijma, their

juide, who of all others most lamented our depar-
\tuYe, and offered to send his son with us into
.England if we could have stayed till he had sent
Iback to his town. But our hearts were cold to
[tehold the great rage and inrrpn'iiR of th<^ Orinnro.
[and therefore departed and turned towards the

rest till we had recovered the parting gf the three
branches aforesaid, that we might put down the
stream after the galley.

The next day we landed on the island of Assa-
pana (which divideth the river from that branch
by which we went down to Emeria), and there
fpn.stpifl o^rsfilvpis with thnt heast which is called
Armadillo, presented unto us before at Winicapora,
and the day following we recovered the galley at
anchor at the port of Toparimaca, and the same
evening departed with very foul weather, and
terrible thunder and showers, for the winter was
come on very far. The best" was, we went no less
than one hundred miles a day down the river, but
by the way we entered it was impossible to return,

132 THE DISCOVERY OF GTJIANA.

for that the river of Amana, being in the bottom
of the bay of Guanipa, cannot be sailed back by
any means, both the breeze and current of the sea
were so forcible, and therefore we followed a
branch of the Orinoco called Capuri, which entered
into the sea eastward of our ships, to the end we
might bear with them before the wind ; and it was
not without need, for we had by that way as much
to cross of the main sea after we came to the river's
mouth as between Gravelines and Dover, in such
boats as your honours have heard.

To speak of what passed homeward were tedious,
either to describe or nam ft ^r\y pf the rivftrsj
islands, or villages of the Tiuitiuas which dwell on
treesj. we will leaye^all those to the general, map.
And to be short, when we were arrived at the sea
side, then grew our greatest doubt and the bitterest
of all our journey torepassed, for I protest before
God that we were in a most desperate estate, for
the same night which we anchored in the mouth
of the river of Capuri, where it falleth into the
sea, there arose a mighty storm, and the river's
mouth was at least a league broad, so as we ran
before night close under the land with our small
boats, and brought the galley as near as we could ;

I

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 133

but she had as much a do to live as could be, and
there wanted little of her sinking and all those in
her. For mine own part, I confess, I was very
doubtful which way to take, either to go over in
the pestered galley, there being but six foot of
water over the sands for two leagues together, and
that also in the channel, and she drew five, or to
adventure in so great a billow, and in so doubtful
weather, to cross the seas in my barge. The
longer we tarried the worse it was, and therefore I
took Captain Gifford, Captain Calfield, and my
cousin Greenvile into my barge, and after it
cleared up, about midnight we put ours^1vf>« ^^
God's keeping and thrust out into the sea, leaving
the galley at anchor, who durst not adventure but
by daylight. And so being all very sober and
melancholy, one faintly cheering another to show
courage, it pleased God that the next day^ about
nine of the clock, we_ descried the Island of Trini-
dad, and steering for the nearest part of it, we
kept the shore till we came to duiaigan, where we
found our ships at anchoTy-than "whicii there was
never to us a more joyful sight.

Now that it hath pleased God to send us safejio-^
our__ships, it is time to leave Guiana to the sun

134 THE DISCOVEEY OF GUIANA.

^ nor

om they worship, and steer away towards the
north. I will, therefore, in a few words, finish
the discovery thereof. Of the several nations
which we found upon this discovery, I will once
again make repetition, and how they are affected.
At our first entrance into Amana, which is one of
the outlets of the Orinoco, we left on the right
hand of us in the bottom of the bay, lying directly
against Trinidad, n. na.tinr> nf inlniman cannibals,
which inhabit the rivers of Guanipa and Berreese ;
in the same bay there is also a third river which is
called Areo, which riseth on Paria side towards
Cumana, and that river is inhabited with the
Wikiri, whose chief town upon the said river is
Sayma. In this bay there are no more rivers but
these three before rehearsed, and the four branches
of Amana, all which in the winter thrust so great
abundance of water into the sea, as the same is
taken up fresh two or three leagues from the land.
In the passages towards Guiana (that is, in all
those lands which the eight branches of the OrijiQco
fashion into islands), there are but one sort of
people called Tiuitiuas^ but of two casts as they
term them, the one called Ciawary, the other
Waraweeti. and those war one with tEe other.

I

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 135

I

On the hithermost part of the Orinoco, as at
Toparimaca and Winicapora, those are of a nation
called Nepoioa, and are of the followers of Cara-
pana, Lord of Emeria. Between Winicapora and
the port of Morfifluito, which standeth in^romaia.
and all those in the valley of Amariocapana are
called Orinocoponi, and did obey Morequito, and
are now followers of Topiawari. Upon the river
of Caroli are the Canuri, which are governed by a
woman (who is inheritrix of that province), who
came far off to see our nation, and asked me divers
questions of her Majesty, being much delighted
with the discourse of her Majesty's greatness,
and wondering at such reports as we truly made of
her highness's many virtues. And upon the head
of Caroli, and on the lake of Cassipa, are the three
strong nations of the Cassipagotos. Right south
into the land are the Capurepani and E^arepani,
and beyond those adjoining to Macureguarai (the
first city of Inga) are the Iwarawakeri All these
are professed enemies to_tha_Spaniards, and-to the
rich Epuremei. also. To the west of Caroli are
divers nations of cannibals, and of those Ewaipa-
noma without heads. Directly west are the
A''"PipaiftPi UTid .Aniibn'^. which are also marvellous

136 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. L

rich in gold. The rest towards Peru we will omit.
On the north of the Orinoco, between it and the
West Indies, are the Wikiri, Saymi, and the rest ,
before spoken of, all mortal enemies to the
Spaniai^ds. On the south side of the main mouth
of the Orinoco are the Arwacas ; and beyond them
the cannibals; and to the south of them the
Amazons.

To make mention of the several beasts, birds,
fishes, fruits, flowers, gums, sweet woods, and of
their several religions and customs, would for the
first require as maily-yolumes as those of Gesnerus,
and for the rest another bundle of Decades. The
religion of the Epuremei is the same which the
Ingas, Emperors of Peru used, which may be read
in Cieca, and other Spanish stories, how they
bel ieve the immortqilHy nf fbp g^n]^ worship the
sun, and bury with them alive theij best beloved
wives and treasure, as they likewise do in Pegu in
the East Indies, and other places. The Orinoco-
j)oni bury not their wives with them, _but their
jpwpls^ hoping f,Q enjoy them again. The Arwacas
di^j the bonea-ftf their lords, and their wives and
friends dnnk them in powdm-. In the graves of
the Peruvians the Spaniards found their greatest

3^ ou?f>«<r\ ^f^if'^ ^^, n

^^f THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 137

abundance of treasure. The like also is to be
found~ainOllg thesd"" people in every province.
They have all many wives, and the lords five-fold
to the common sort. Their wives never eat with
their husbands, nor among _the men, but serve their
hiTsbfl.Tifls {\t meals, and afterwards feed by^them-
selves. Those that are past their younger years,
make all their bread and drink and work their

t cotton beds, and do all else of service and labour,
for the men do nothing but hunt, fish, play, and
drink, when they are out of the wars.

I will entei:_na_£urther into discourse of their
manners^ laws^ and custom^ : and,4?ecause I have
not myself seen the cities of Inga, I cannot avow
on my credit what I have heard, although it be
very likely that the Emperor Inga hath built and
erected as magnificent palaces in Guiana as his
ancestors did in Peru, which were for their riches
and rareness most marvellous and exceeding all in
Europe, and I think of the world, China excepted,
which also the Spaniards (which I had) assured me
to be of truth, as also the nations of the borderers,
who being but Saluaios, to those of the inland do
cause much treasure to be buried with them, for I
was informed of one of the Caziqui of the valley

138 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

of Amariocapana which had buried with him, a
little before our arrival, a chair of gold most
curiously wrought, which was made either in Ma-
cureguarai adjoining, or in Manoa. But if we
should have grieved them in their religion at the
first, before they had been taught better, and have
digged up their graves, we had lost them all ; and
therefore I held my first resolution, that her
Majesty should pit^ftr arrnpt; nr refuse the enter-
prise ere^ anvthing should. be.„dmifi._±ha± might
in any sort hinder the same. And if Peru had
so many heaps of gold, whereof those Ingas
were princes, and that they delighteth so much
therein, no doubt but this which now liveth and
reigneth in Manoa hath the same humour, and
I am assured hath more abundance of gold
within his territory than all Peru and the West
Indies.

For the rest, which myself have seen, I will
promise these things that follow and know to be
true. Those that are desirous to discover and to
see many nations, may be satisfied wjthin^this
river, which bringeth forth so many arms and
branches leading to several countries and provinces,
above 2,000 miles east and west, and 800 miles south

■

I

THE DISCOVERY OF GfltANA. ' J ' 139

and north ; and of these, the most either rich in

j« — — -

gold or in other merchandises. The common soldier
shall here fight for gold, and pay himself instead of
pence with plates of half a foot broad, whereas he
breaketh his bones in other wars for provant and
penury. Those commanders and chieftains, that
shoot at honour and abundance, shall find there
more rich and beautiful cities, more tempT^s
adorned with golden images, more sepulchres filled
with treasure, than either Cortez found in Mexico,
or^Pizzaro in Peru ; and the shining glory of this
conquest will eclipse all those so far extended
beams of the Spanish nation. There is no country
which yieldeth more pleasure to the inhabitants,
either for these common delights of hunting,
hawking, fishing, fowling, and the rest, than
Guiana doth. It hath so many plains, clear riv^ers,
abundance of pheasants, partridges, quails, rails,
cranes, herons, and all other fowl : deer of all
sorts, porks, hares, lions, tigers, leopards, and
divers other sorts of beasts, either for chase
or food. It hath a kind of beast called Cama,
or Anta, as big as an English beef, and in great
plenty.

To speak of the several sorts of every kind I fear

140 THE DISCOVEEY OF GUIANA.

woulci be troublesome to the reader, and therefore I
will omit them, and conclude that both for health,
good air, pleasure and riches, I am resolved it can-
not be equalled by any^reg^ion either in the"^st or
west. Moreover the country is so healthful, as
100 persons and more, which lay (without shift
most sluttishly, and were every day almost melted
with heat in rowing and marching, and suddenly
wet again with great showers, and did eat of all
sorts of connipt fruits, and made meals of fresh
fish without seasoning, of tortugas, of lagartos,
and of all sorts good and bad, without either order
or measure, and besides lodged in the open air
every night) we lost not any one, nor had one ill
disposed to my knowledge, nor found any cal-
lentura, or other of those pestilent diseases which
dwell in all hot regions, and so near the equinoc-
tial line. ..- r^-eyof^Ki^:

Where there is store of gold, it is in effect
needless to remember other commodities for trade :
but it hath, towards the south part of the river,
great quantities of Brazil wood, and of divers
berries, that dye a most perfect crimson and
carnation. And for painting, all France, Italy, or
the east Indies yield none such ; for the more the

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 141

skin is washed the fairer the colour appeareth,
and with which, even those brown and tawny
women spot themselves and colour their cheeks.
All places yield abundance of cotton, of silk, of
balsamum, and of those kinds most excellent, and
never known in Europe ; of all sorts of gums, of
Indian pepper : and what else the countries may
afford within the land we know not, neither had
we time to abide the trial and search. The
soil besides is so excellent, and so full of
rivers, as it will carry sugar, ginger, and all
those other commodities which the West Indies
hath.

The navigation is short, for it may be sailed
with an ordinary wind in six weeks, and in the
like time back again, and by the way neither lee
shore, enemy's coast, rocks, nor sands, all which in
the voyages to the West Indies, and all other
places, we are subject unto : as the channel of
Bahama, coming from the West Indies, cannot be
passed in the winter, and when it is at the best, it
is a perilous and a fearful place ; the rest of the
Indies for calms, and diseases very troublesome ; and
the Bermudas a hellish sea for thunder, lightning,
and storms.

142 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

This very year there were seventeen sail of
Spanish ships lost in the channel of Bahama, and
the great Philip like to have sunk at the Ber-
mudas, was put back to Saint Juan de Puerto Bico.
And so it falleth out in that navigation every
year for the most part, which in this voyage are
not to be feared ; for the time of the year to leave
England is best in July, and the summer in Guiana
is in October, November, December, January,
February, and March, and then the ships may
depart thence in April, and so return again into
England in June, so as they shall never be subject
tQjwinter weather, either coming, going, or staying
there, which, for my part, I take to be one of the
greatest comforts and encouragements that can be
thought on, having (as I have done) tasted in this
voyage by the West Indies so many calms, so
much heat, such outrageous gusts, foul weather,
and contrary winds. OnsPOf /-P v

To conclude, Guiana is a cplmtry that, hath yet
her maidenhead, never sacked, turned, nor wrought,
t.Vie fflpp c\f fViP parf.li y|fif.>i not been torn, nor the
virtue and salt of the soil spent by manuring, the
graves have not been -opened for gold, the mines
not broken with sledges, nor their images pulled

i

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 143

down out of their temples. It hath never been
entered by any army of strength, and never con-
quered or possessed by any Clmstian^pxiQce. It is
besides so defensible, that if two foi-ts be built in
one of the provinces which I have seen, the flood
setteth in so near the bank, w^here the channel also
lieth, that no ship can pass up but within a pike's
length of the artillery, first of the one, and after-
wards of the other ; which two forts will be a
sufficient guard both to the Empire of Inga, and
to a hundred other several kingdoms lying with-
in the said river, even to the city of Quito in
Peru.

There is therefore great difference between. Jihe
easiness of the conquest of Guiana, and the defence
of it being conquered, and the West or East Indies :
Guiana hath but one entrance by the sea (if it
have that) for any vessels of burden, so as whoso-
ever shall first possess it it shall be found in-
accessible for any enemy, except he come in
wherries, barges, or canoes, or else in flat-bottomed
boats ; and if he do offer to enter it in that manner,
the w^oods are so thick 200 miles together upon the
rivers of such entrance, as a mouse cannot sit in a
boat unhit from the bank. Bv land it is more

144 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

impossible to approach, for it hath the strongest
situation of^ any region under the .sun, and is so
environed with impassable mountains on every
side, as it is impossible to victual any company in
the passage, which hath been well proved by the
Spanish nation, who since the conquest of Peru
have never left five years free from attempting
this Empire, or discovering some way into it, and
yet of twenty-three several gentlemen, knights,
and noblemen, there was never any that knew
which way^o'feB;dr an.armx_byjand, or to conduct
ships by sea, anything near the said country.
Oreliano, of which the river of Amazons taketh
name, was the first, and Don Antonio de Berreo
(whom we displanted) the last : and I doubt much
whether he himself or any of his yet know the
best way into the said Empire. It can therefore
hardly be regained, if any strength be formerly set
down, but in one or two places, and but two or
three crumsters or galleys built, and furnished
upon the river within : the West Indies hath many
ports, watering places, and landings, and nearer
than 300 miles to Guiana no man can harbour a
ship except he know one only place, which is not
learned in haste, and which I will undertake there

?l

THE DISCOVEBY ,0F G^^ANA. / \ 145

is not any one of my companions that knoweth,

k

THE DISCOVEBY ,0F GUIANA. 1\

one of my companion
whosoever hearkened most after it.

Besides by keeping one good fort, or building
one town of strength, the whole empire is guarded,
and whatsoever companies shall be afterwards
planted within the land, although in twenty several
provinces, those shall be able all to reunite them-
selves upon any occasion either by the way of one
river, or be able to march by land without either
wood, bog, or mountain; whereas in the West
Indies there are few towns or provinces that can
succour or relieve one the other, either by land
or sea. By land thp countries are either desert,
mountainous^ or strong enemies. By sea, if any
man mvade to the-ea&tward. those to the west can-
not in many months turn against the breeze and
east wind ; besides, the Spaniards are therein so
dispersed, as they are nowhere strnngj but in
Nueva Hispania only ; the sharp mountains, the
thorns and poisoned prickles, the sandy and deep
ways in the valleys, the smothering heat and air,
and want of water in other places, are their only
and best defence, which (because those nations
that invade them are not victualled or provided to
stay, neither have any place to friend adjoining)

146 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

do serve them instead of good arms and great
multitudes.

The West Indies were first offered her Majesty's
grandfather by Columbus, a stranger in whom
there might be doubt of deceit, and besides it was
then thought incredible that there were such and
so many lands and regions never written of before.
This Empire is made known to her Majesty by her
own vassal, and by him that oweth to her more
duty than an ordinary subject, so that it shall ill
sort with the many graces, and benefits which I
have received to abuse her highness, either with
fables or imaginations. The country is already
discovered, many nations won to her Majesty's
love and obedience, and those Spaniards whkh
have latest and lonorest laboured about the con-
quest, beaten out, discoura<red, and disgraced, which
among these nations were thought invincible.
Her Majesty may in this enter])rise egxploy all
th^se soldiers and'geiitlemen that are younger
brethren, and all captains and chieftains that want
employment, and the charge will be ^nly_the first
setting out in victualling and arming them ; for
after the first or second year I doubt not but to
see in London a Contratation house of more receipt

r

i

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 147

for Guiana than there is now in Civil [Seville] for
the West Indies.

And I am resolved that if there were but a
small army a-foot in Guiana, marching towards
Manoa>_tlis_.chief_ citj ql Inga, he would yield her
Majesty by composition so many hundred thousand
pounds yearly as should both defend all enemies
abroad and defray all expenses at home, and that
he would besides pay a garrison of 3,000 or 4,000
soldiers very royally to defend him against other
nations ; for he cannot but know how his prede-
cessors, yea, how his own great-uncles Guascar and
Atibalipa, sons to Guanacapa, Emperor of Peru,
were (while they contended for the Empire) beaten
out by the Spaniards, and that both of late years,'
and ever since the said conquest, the Spaniards
have sought the passages and entry of his country ;
and of their cruelties used to the borderers he can-
not be ignorant. In which respects no doubt but
he will be brought to tribute with great gladness ;
if not, he hath neither shot nor iron weapon in
all his empire, and therefore may easily be con-
quered.

And I farther remember that Berreo confessed
to me and others (which I protest before the

148 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

Majesty of God to be true) that there was found
among prophecies in Peru (at such time as the
empire was reduced to the Spanish obedience), in
their ch.ififesli_tfimpl©6, amongst divers others which
foreshowed the loss of the said empire, that from
Inglatierra those Ingas should be again in time to
come restored, and delivered from the servitude of
the said conquerors. And I hope, as we with
these few hands have displanted the first garrison,
and driven them out of the said country, so her
Majesty will give order for the rest, and either
defend it, aftd^old it as trihutaryj or conquer
and keep it as empress of the same. For whatso-
ever prince shall ])ossessit shall be^greatest, and
if the king of Spain enjoy it, he will become irre-
sistible. Her Majesty hereby shall confirm and
strengthen the opinions of all nations, as touching
her great and princely actions. And where the
south border of Guiana reacheth to the dominion
and empire of the Amazons, those women shall
hereby heap the name of a virgin which is not
only able to defend her own territories and her
neighbours', but also to invade and conquer so
great empires and so far removed.

To speak more at this time I fear would be but

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 149

troublesome ; I trust in God, this being true, will
suffice, an^that he whicn is King of all kings and
Lord of lords will put it into her heart which is
Lady of ladies to possess it ; if not, I will judge
those men worthy to be kings thereof that by her
grace and leave will undertake it of themselves.

SIR WALTER RALEIGH'S JOURNAL OF
HIS SECOND VOYAGE TO GUIANA

The 19th of August, 1G17, at 6 o'clock in the
morning, having the wind at N.E. we set sail in
the river of Cork, where we had attended a fair
wind 7 weeks.

From 6 in the morning till 10 at night we ran
14 leagues S. by W. ; from 10 at night till 10 in
the morning we had no wind, so as between 10 in
the morning and 4 at afternoon we made not
above 2 leagues.

At 4 the 20tli day the wind began to freshen, and
we steered away S.S.W., keeping a westerly course,
fearing the westerly winds, and from 4 to 2
o'clock after midnight, being the morning of the
21st day, we ran 13 leagues.

From 2 in the morning of the 21st day, being
Tliursday, till 8 in the same morning, being 6
hours, we ran 6 leagues S. by W. Then the wind
came to the W. and W. by S. ; very little wind till
one o'clock ; the wind between the W and the S.,

152 THE DISCOVERY OF GTJIANA.

and we ran not in that time above 2 leagues. At
one the wind began to shift up at N.E. and pre-
sently to the N.W., and blew strong, so as by 4 we
ran 6 leagues.

From 4 to 8 we ran 7 leagues, from 8 to 12
other 7 leagues, from 12 to 4, being Friday
morning, 6 leagues, from 4 to 8 6 leagues, the
course S.S.W. ; from 8 to 12 other 6 leagues
S.S.W. ; and taking the height, we found ourselves
in 48 degrees wanting 1 0 minutes. We then steered
away S. by W., and so from 12 on Friday the
22nd day, to 8 in the morning, being Saturday,
the 23rd day, we ran near 24 leagues S. by W.,
the wind being at N.N.E.

From 8 on Saturday morning to 8 on Sunday
morning, being Bartelmeie day and the 24th, we ran
35 leagues S. by W.

Then it grew calm, and we ran not above 10
leagues from Sunday the 24th to Monday the 25tli.

At 8 in the morning the wind failed and blew
but a little gale at S.E. Monday night it blew
strona: at S., and it fell back from the S. to the
S.S.W., and overblew so as we could lie but W.
northerly, and so continued all Tuesday, the 26th
day, the wind falling back at one o'clock of the

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 153

same day to the S.W. ; we cast about and lay S.E.
the other way that night [for] a try.

"Wednesday morning, the 27th, we set sail and
lay S.S.E., and then S. by E. ; the wind at
W.S.W. then changed to the W.N.W. and N.W.,
so as from 5 the Wednesday morning to 12 o'clock
of the same day we ran some 7 leagues, and
brought the north part of Cape Finisterre east.

From 12 we steered away S. and S. by E. to re-
cover again our falling from our course towards
the W., till 12 the next day, being the 28th, when
as we found ourselves in 42 degrees, wanting 10
minutes.

From 12 the 28th to 12 the 29th, having the
wind at N., we ran 35 leagues, and were in 40
degrees wanting 30 minutes.

From 12 the 29th to 12 the 30th day, we ran on
30 leagues S., and brought Lisbon E. northerly.

At 12 the same 30th day we discovered 4 sails,
and gave them chase and ran W.S.W. till 7 at
night, then leaving the chase we stood S.S.E. till
12 at night, and then S., so as by 8 o'clock Sunday
morning we had gone 18 leagues, and were 20
leagues short of the Cape Saint Vincent. These
4 ships were French, and came from Cape Blanck

154 THE DISCOVERY OP GUIANA.

laden with fish and train oil, and were bound as
they pretended for Seville in Spain ; but because
they should not give knowledge that I was then
passed by, joined them with me 100 leagues to the
southward, and then buying of them a pinnace of 7
ton and 3 pipes of train oil, for which I gave them
in ready money 61 crowns, I dismissed them. It
is true that I had arguments enough to persuade
me that they had not fished but robbed the Por-
tuguese and Spaniards at Cape Blanck, for they
were not only provided and furnished like men of
war, but had in them store of Spanish apparel and
other things taken there. But because it is law-
ful for the French to make prize of the Spanish
king's subjects to the south of the Canaries and to
the west of the Azores, and that it did not belong
to me to examine the subjects of the French king,
I did not suffer my company to take from them
any pennyworth of their goods, greatly to the
discontent of my company, who cried out that
they were men of war and thieves ; and so indeed
they were, for I met with a Spaniard afte'rwards of
the grand Canaries whom they had robbed.

From 8 Sunday morning to 12 Monday, being
the 1st of September, we ran 40 leagues, and were

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 155

in 35 degrees lacking 8 minutes, and made our
way S. by E.

From 12 on Monday to 12 on Tuesday, the 2nd
day, we ran 30 leagues, having lain by the lee 4
hours, and were in 33 degrees and a half.

From 12 on Tuesday to 12 on Wednesday, the
3rd day, we ran 30 leagues.

From 12 on Wednesday to 12 on Thursday, the
4th of September, we ran but 14 leagues S. by E.
Friday the 5th and Saturday the 6th day, we ran
with a good gale and made Lancerota on Saturday
before noon, but on Saturday night we stood off
till midnight and then stood in, and on Sunday, the
7th day, came to anchor near the shore of Lan-
cerota, where we landed our men to stretch their
legs. The people fearing that we had been the
same fleet of Turks which had spoiled Porta Sancta,
put themselves in arms and came to the seaside
with a flag of truce. The Governor being desirous
to speak with me, to which I yielded, taking with
me "^ Bradshew, with each of us a sword,

and the Governor with one of his so armed, came
into the plain to meet me, our troops staying at

* In this and several similar instances there are blanks in
he MS.— Ed.

156 THE DISCOVERY OP GUIANA.

equal distance from ns. After he had saluted me,
his first desire was to know whether we were
Christians or Turks, whereof being satisfied, he
demanded what I sought for from that miserable
and barren island peopled in effect all with Moris-
cos. I answered him that although I landed many
men to refresh them, T had no purpose to invade
any of the Spanish king's territories, having re-
ceived from the king my master express command-
ment to the contrary, only I desired for my money
such fresh meat as that island yielded, and because
he should not doubt of what nation we were, I
willed him to be informed by the English merchant
whose ship lay by us, and whom we found in his
port at our arrival trading with him and others of
the island, and had lately brought them wine from
Teneriffe and stayed for his lading of corn, where-
upon he prayed me to set down in writing what I
desired, and it should be furnished the next day,
promising to send me that night some few muttons
and goats for myself and the captains. In the
morning, being Monday, the 8th day, the English
merchant's man came to me, by whom I sent him
a note for a quantity of wheat, goats, sheep, hens,
and wine, for which the merchant should make the

r

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 157

price, and to whom I would deliver so much ready-
money or other truck as it amounted unto, promising
him that my companies should not go from the
seaside above a mile or two ; nor offend any of the
inhabitants. I stayed the next day, but nothing
came, which day we spent in training and muster-
ing our companies on the sea shore ; the next he
wrote me a letter in Spanish, wherein he protested,
on the faith of a Cabaliro, that he would send the
provisions the 3rd day, being the 11th of Septem-
ber, and sent me the English merchant which lay
above at his town with 2 French factors to assure
me, whom he abused by protesting as much to
them. For my own part I never gave faith to his
words, for I knew he sought to gain time to carry
the goods of the town, being 7 miles from us, into
the mountains. My company pressed me that they
might march towards the town, but besides that I
knew that it would offend his Majesty, I am sure
that the poor English merchant would have been
ruined whose goods he had in his hands, and the
way being mountainous and most extremely stony, I
knew that I must have lost 20 good men in taking
a town not worth two groats, for they were 300
men, whereof 90 musketeers, upon a ground of

L

158 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

infinite advantage. When the 3rd day was passed
I sent the merchant's man with a letter charging
him with his promise and faith given, and that did
I not know that it would offend the king my
sovereign, I would pull his Moriscos out of their
town by the ears, and by the merchant's man I
sent some 20s. to buy some hens and other trifles,
by whom he returned answer that we were the
same Turks which had taken and destroyed Porta
Sancta, and therefore he was resolved to stand
upon his guard, and were we English, yet if he
gave us any relief he was sure to be hanged ;
taking the money from the merchant's man, and
beat him for offering to buy anything for us with-
out his leave. I sent back the merchant's man
and wrote unto him that because he was a poor
fellow and needed apparel, if he would send back
the merchant, I would send him 40 rial more
to buy him a doublet to his hose, and for the
rest it was enough for me to know his master's
disposition, who notwithstanding the peace with
our king, yet he had given order that no relief
should be given to any of his subjects, and that
evening departed and came the next day at night
to the Grand Canaries, and from the south part sent

I

THE DISCOVEEY OF GUIANA. 159

a Spaniard who was a fisherman of that island,
with a letter to the governor, to whom the other
islands were subject, as to the supreme audience,
with the copy of the governor of Lancerota his
letter to me and mine to him, and how I had no
intent to invade any of those islands nor to of-
fend any of the . Spanish king's subjects, but only
sought for water, and for fresh meat for my money,
praying the governor to take knowledge that I
had it in commandment from the king my master
not to offer any violence, nor to take any places
belonging to the Spanish king, only I desired
from him to know if any such commandment were
given to the governor of Lancerota not to trade
with us, but to offend us in all he could, or
whether himself, being the king's lieutenant of all
the islands, had any such order. In the mean-
while landing to get a little water, which I did
with great difficulty, the quantity being not half a
tun, I thought it perilous to stay in those extreme
hot calms, my company in all the ships falling ex-
tremely sick, whereof many died for want of water.
I did therefore determine to stay but one day
more for the governor's answer, where, being on
the land with a few men, I set 2 or 3 sentinels,

160 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

doubting the people might come down on the
sudden. The islanders finding a sentinel of 2 of
our company somewhat far off from the rest, they
crept near them, by the favour of the trees and
on the Sunday ran upon them. Our musketeer
shooting off gave us the alarm; our pick being
charged with 3 of them, received 3 wounds, being
one Smith, a master's mate of Sir J. Feme's ship,
but behaved himself so well as he slew one of them
and recovered his pike. Capt. Thornehurst being a
valiant and active man hasted to their rescue, and
with a horseman's piece shot another of them. Mr.
Hawton with his pick wounded the third, so as all
three died in the place, the rest taking their heels.
We were now out of their debt, for at Lancerota,
by the vanity and madness of a sergeant who
standing sentinel would needs force the governor's
sentinel from his ground, they being 20 and ours
but 3, whereof we lost two.

From the calms of the great Canaries (where at
this time of the year the springs being dried u})
there was no water to be had) we set sail the 3rd
of September and stood for Gomera, where some of
our company assured us there was water enough ;
but we fell to leeward of it that night. The next

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 161

ly being Thursday the 4th, we turned it up and
^covered the port, being the best of all the Canaries,
[the town and castle standing on the very breach of
bhe sea ; but the billows do so tumble and overfall
as it is impossible to land upon any part of the
strand but by swimming, saving in a cove under
steep rocks, where they can pass towards the town
but one after another, and could they pass 10 men
in front, yet from the steep mountain of rock over
the way they were all sure to be beaten in pieces
with massy stones. Before we were at anchor they
shot at us from those rocks, and we, to let them
know that we had good ordnance, gave them some
20 demi-culverin through their houses and then
forbear. I then sent a Spaniard on shore to the
Count Lord and Governor of the island, and wrote
unto him that I came not thither as the Hollanders
did, to sack their town and burn their churches as
the Hollanders did in the year , but being in

necessity of water, for it only, and therefore as he
had begun the war in shooting first, so it should be
his fault to continue it by denying us to relieve
ourselves whereunto we were mainly constrained.
To this he made answer in writing and in fair
terms that he was advertised from the other islands
P— 67

162 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

that we were the same Turks which had taken
Porto Santa, otherwise he would be ready to do
me service. I answered that he received that adver-
tisement from the Morisco of Forteventura, but to
put him altogether out of doubt I would send him
6 other Spaniards of the Gran Canaries, taken on
Africa side in a small barque, who should resolve
him that we were Oiiristians, and the vassals of the
King of Great Britain in perfect league and amity
with the King of Spain. This being done, we made
an agreement that his soldiers and others to the
number of 300 should quit their trenches upon the
landing-places where they were so well assured by
divers redoubts one above another, as the Hollanders
were forced to land their army six miles from this
port when they took it as aforesaid, and where in
passing the mountains they lost 80 soldiers ; and
I, for my part, should promise on the faith of a
Christian not to land above 30 mariners without
weapons to fill water ; we were within a pistol-shot of
the wash of the sea, myself further promising that
none of those should enter their houses nor their
gardens. Upon this agreement I sent my boat
ashore with my baricos, adventuring but two poor
sailors ashore and 4 to keep the boat, which had

THE DISCOVEKY OF GUIANA. 163

in her head 2 good murderers, and for the more
safety, and brought six ships with their broad-
sides towards the town, which I would have
beaten down in 10 hours if they had broken the
agreement.

By the Spaniard which carried my letter to the
Count, I sent his lady 6 exceeding fine handker-
chiefs and 6 pair of gloves, and wrote unto her that
if there were anything worthy of her in my fleet
she should command it and me. She sent me
answer that she was sorry that her barren island
had nothing worthy of me, and with her letter sent
me 4 very great loaves of sugar, a basket of lemons,
which I much desired to comfort and refresh our
many sick men, a basket of oranges, a basket of
most delicate grapes, another of pomegranates and
of figs, which trifles were better welcome unto me
than a 1,000 crowns could have been. I gave her
servants 2 crowns to each, and answering her letter
in the fairest terms I could, because I would not
rest in her debt, I sent her 2 ounces of amber
grease, an ounce of the delicate extract of amber, a
great glass of rose-water in high estimation here,
and a very excellent picture of Mary Magdalen,
and a cutwork ruff. These presents were received

164 THE DISCOVERY OP GUIANA.

with SO great thanks, and so much acknowledgment
of debt as could be expressed, and upon Saturday-
there was sent me a basket of delicate white
manchet, and 2 dozen of fat hens with divers fruits.
In the meanwhile, Friday, Saturday, and part of
Sunday we filled 240 pipes of water, and the
Sunday evening we departed without any offence
given or received to the value of a farthing, for
testimony whereof the Earl sent his friar aboard
my ship with a letter to D. Diego Sarmiento, am-
bassador in England, witnessing how noble we had
behaved ourselves, and how justly we had dealt
with the inhabitants of the island.

Being ready to set sail, we delivered the Spanish
fisherman his barque, and discharged another small
barque taken here at our first arrival with all their
furniture, and directed our course from Gomera
on the same Sunday fortnight (being the 21st of
September) which we arrived at Lancerota, having
spent 14 days among these islands.

From Sunday at 4 at afternoon to Monday at 4,
being the 22nd day, we ran 20 leagues, for we
carried a slack sail for some of our fleet which were
not ready to weigh with us.

From 4 on Monday to 12 at noon on Tuesday,

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 165

being the 23rd, we ran 25 leagues S. W by S., with
the breezes at N.E.

From 12 on Tuesday to 12 on Wednesday, being
the 24th of September, we made 6 leagues a watch,
drawing at our stem a long boat of 14 ton fastened
with 2 great cables, which hung deep in the way
and greatly hindered our sailing, holding the same
S.W. by S. course, the wind constant. We had at
this time 50 men sick in our ship.

From 12 on Wednesday to 12 on Thursday,
the 25th day, the breezes continuing, but not so
strong, we ran about 33 leagues S.W. by W., and
found ourselves in 23 degrees and 17 minutes.

From Thursday 12 to Friday 12, being the 26th
day, we brought ourselves into 22 degrees northerly,
the wind continuing, and the course S.S.W., for
whereas we resolved to fall with the weathermost
island of Cape de Verde, called St. Antoine, being
informed that the same was desolate and could
yield us no refreshing, and that we had 60 men sick
aboard us, we determined to touch at Bravo, where
I was told that there were people and fresh meat.

From 12 the 26th to 12 the 27th we ran 38
leagues, and were in 19 degrees 20 minutes, the
course S. by W.

166 THE DISCOVERY OF GTJIANA.

From 12 the 27th to 12 the 28th, being Sunday,
we had a few hours calm, and ran but 27 leagues,
and were at 12 o'clock in 18 degrees.

Monday at noon we found ourselves in 16
degrees and 20 minutes, and Monday night by the
star we found ourselves in 15 degrees and half, and
then we lay at hull from 8 at night to 6 in the
morning, when we saw the island of Stiago fair
by us. Monday being Michaelmas day, there died
our Master Surgeon, Mr. Nubal, to our great loss ;
the same day also died Barber, one of our quarter-
masters, and our sail-maker, and we had 60 men
sick, and all mine own servants amongst them, that
I had none of mine own but my pages to serve me.

Tuesday night we stood off because we meant to
water at Bravo four leagues to the westward of
Fridgo Fuego, being 1 2 leagues to the west of Stiago.
HolcrofF, the sergeant of my son's company, died.

That night the pinnace that was Captain Barkers',
having all her men asleep, and not any one at the
watch, drove under our bowsprit and sunk ; but the
men were saved, though better worthy to have been
hanged than saved.

Wednesday w^e stood back with Bravo, but found
veiy inconvenient anchoring and rough ground.

^^H THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 167

I^Pfmd that night having the Yice-admiral with me
at supper, myself being newly come from the shore
to feel out a better road, a hurricane fell upon us
with most violent rain, and broke both our cables
at the instant, greatly to the damage of the ship
and all our lives, but it pleased God that her head
cast from the shore and drove off. I was myself
so wet as the water ran in at my neck, and out at
my knees, as if it had been poured on me with
pails. All the rest of our fleet lost their cables
and anchors ; 3 of our small men that rode in a
cove, close under the land, had like all to have
perished ; Captain Snedul grated on the rocks ;
Wulleston and King escaped them not their ship's
length.

Thursday we stood up upon a tack to recover the
island, for I had sent off my skiff to fish not half
a quarter of an hour before the hurricane, and I
gave her lost and six of my men in her to my
great discomfort, having had so great mortality ;
but I thank my God I found them in the morning
under the shore and recovered them, but I lost
another of my pinnaces called The Fifty Croions —
because I paid fifty crowns to the French men for
her — in this storm.

168 THE DISCOVERY OP GUIANA.

Friday one of my trumpeters and one other of
the cookrom died.

Finding that the rains and storms were not yet
past in this place, and finding no fair ground to
ride in, I resolved rather to leave the island and
the refreshing we hoped for here, than to en-
danger our ships, the most of them having lost a
a cable and anchor, and myself two. This island
of Bravo standeth in , a little island but

fruitful, having store of goats, cattle, maize, figs,
and water ; it hath on the north side little islands
and broken grounds, which doth, as it were, impale
it ; on the west side it hath an excellent watering-
place in a cove, in which there may ride a dozen
ships if they come either before or after the rains
and storms, which begin in the middle of July and
end in the middle of August, and in this cove and
all along the west side abundance of fish. There
is a current which sets very strong from the south
to the north, and runs in efiect always so. This
night Captain Pigott's lieutenant, called Allen,
died.

Thursday night I stood off* a league, and then
lay by the Lee the most part of the night to stay for
some of our ships that were in the cove to take

THE DISCOVERY OP GUIANA. 169

water, so as by 12 on Friday we were about 10
leagues off the island. On Friday morning, being
the 3rd of October, our Captain Marchant Kemishe
died. Friday at noon we lay again by Lee to stay
for King, who was in my fly-boat, and lay so till
Saturday, having sent back Captain Barker in the
carvell to seek him, but hearing of neither we
filled our sails at 12, and stood away athwart the
ocean, steering away towards the coast of Guiana
S.W. by W.

From Saturday 12 to Sunday 12 we made 30
leagues.

From Sunday 12 to Monday 12 we made 28
leagues. This Monday morning died Mr. John
Haward, ensign to Captain North, and Lieutenant
Pay ton and Mr. Hues fell sick. There also died,
to our great grief, our principal refiner, Mr.
Fowler.

From Monday at 12, to Tuesday the 7th of
October, we made but 4 leagues a watch, and in
all 24 leagues, by the high not so much, for
Tuesday at noon we found ourselves but in 12
degrees and 30 minutes, and then the current set
us half a point to the westward of the S.W. by W.

From 12 on Tuesday to 12 on Wednesday, the

■

170 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

8th of October, we had little wind and made but
22 leagues, and we found ourselves in 11 degrees
and 39 minutes. This evening my servant

Crabb died, so as I had not any one
left to attend me but my pages.

From 12 on Wednesday to 12 on Thursday we
had a fresher gale, and made 30 leagues ; but all
this day we bare little sail, the weather being rainy
with gusts and much wind, as it is commonly in
these parts at the small of the moon.

From 12 on Thursday to 12 on Friday, we had
nothing but rain and not much wind, so as we
made but 4 leagues a watch, to wit 24 leagues, and
the nearest that we could observe the sun shining
but little and by starts was 10 degrees and 8
minutes ; but in the afternoon it cleared up, which
we hoped that God would have continued, for we
were all drowned in our cabins ; but about 4 o'clock
there rose a most fearful blackness over tlie one
half of the sky, and it drove against the wmd,
which threatened a tornado, and yet it pleased God
that it brake but into rain, and the evening again
hopeful, but there blew no wind at all, so as we
lay becalmed all the night, and the next day, at 12
on Saturday, we observed and found ourselves in

I

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 171

10 degrees and 10 minutes, and had not made from
noon to noon above 5 leagues.

From Saturday, the 11th day, at 12, to Sunday at
12, we had all calms as before, and the little breath
which we sometimes had was for the most part
south and to the westward, which hath seldom been
seen in this passage and climate, so as we made not
above six leagues W. by S. ; in the afternoon the
wind took us a-stays, and blew a little gale from
the N.KW.

This Sunday morning died Mr. Hues, a very-
honest and civil gentleman, having laid sick but
six days. In this sort it pleased God to visit us
with great sickness and loss of our ablest men,
both land men and seamen ; and having by reason
of the tornado at Bravo failed of our watering, we
were at this time in miserable estate, not having
in our ship above seven days water, 60 sick men,
and nearly 400 leagues of the shore, and becalmed.

We found ourselves this day at noon in 10
degrees, and so we had raised since Saturday noon
but ten minutes. From Sunday noon to Monday
noon we made not above 12 leagues ; observe we
could not for the dark weather. A lamentable
twenty-four hours it was, in which we lost

172 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

Captain John Pigott, my Lieutenant G. by land,
my honest friend Mr. John Talbot, one that
had lived with me eleven years in the Tower, an
excellent general scholar and a faithful true man
as lived. We lost also Mr. Gardner and Mr.
Mordent, two very fair conditioned gentlemen, and
mine own cook Francis.

From Monday at 12 to Tuesday at 12, having
in the night a fresh gale with much rain, we ran
some 26 leagues. I observed this day, and so I
did before, that the morning rainbow doth not
give a fair day as in England ; but there followed
much rain and wind, and that we found the winds
here for 6 or 7 days together to the southward
of the E. as at S.E. and S.S.E., and always rain
and gusts more or less.

Wednesday morning we saw another rainbow,
and about 10 o'clock it began to gather as black
as pitch in the south, and from thence there fell
as much rain as I have seen, but with little
wind.

From Tuesday 12 to Wednesday 12, we ran not
above 1 4 leagues ; observe we could not, neither
Monday, Tuesday, nor Wednesday, for the dark-
ness of the sky, which is very strange in these

i

I

THE DISCOVEEY OF GUIANA. 178

parts, for most of the afternoon we steered our
ship by candle-light.

From Wednesday 12 to Thursday 12 we had all
calms, saving some few hours in the night, and
from 7 in the morning till 10, and the wind we had
was so weak as we made not above 6 leagues ;
about 10 in the morning it began to rain, and it
continued strong till 2 at after dinner, the effect of
the morning rainbow. About 3 the wind, the little
that it was, blew at W.S.W., which hath not
often been seen. Captain Jennings died and
many fell sick.

From Thursday 12 to Friday 12 we could make
no reckoning, for the wind changed so often
between the S. and the W., as after the changing
of the tack divers times, we found it best to take in
all our sails and lay at hull, for the wind that
blew was horrible with violent rain, and at S.W.
and S.S.W., and so it continued all night, and so it
doth continue this Saturday morning, and think
that since the Indies were discovered never was the
like wind found in this high, which we guess to be
about nine degrees, for we could not observe since
Monday last.

Saturday morning it cleared up, and at noon we

174 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

found ourselves in 9 degrees and 45 minutes, as
we supposed, but tlie wind directly contrary as
well in the storms as in the sun shining, and
lying at hull we drove to the north-west, and fell
altogether to leeward ; we set sail after dinner and
stood by a wind to the eastward, but could lie but
S.E. and by K

The night proved altogether calm, so as we
moved no way, but we hoped that upon the change
of the moon, which changed Sunday about eleven
o'clock, that God would send us the long-looked-for
breeze. This night died my cousin Payton, lieu-
tenant of my son's company.

Sunday proved also stark calm and extreme hot,
so as between Saturday noon and Sunday noon we
could not reckon that we had gone a league, but
that we had driven somewhat to the northward,
for we found ourselves on Saturday in 9 degrees
and 45 minutes, and Sunday at noon in 9 degrees
and 50 minutes. The evening proved exceeding
fair and clear round about the horizon, and the
sun set so fair, it being also the day of the change,
as we all hoped, for exceeding fair weather ; but the
rules and signs of weather do not hold in this
climate, for at midnight the sky was overcast and

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 175

it began to gust again, but the wind good ; the
Monday morning was also exceeding dark, and it
blew and did rain violently. Towards 1 2 it cleared
up with a fresh gale at E. and by S., so as I make
account that we ran from 1 2 on Sunday to 12 on
Monday some 16 degrees. Monday, between 6 and
7 at night, we had a strong gust with so much
wind and rain as we were forced to lie at hull till
midnight, and then we set sail. In the morning we
had much rain and wind, and that fearful and
resistless fall of a cloud called a spout, and it fell,
blessed be God, some 2 miles from us to windward.

From Monday 12 to Tuesday 12 we had hardly
advanced 13 leagues, for we found ourselves at 12
but in 9 degrees ; Tuesday night proved fair, and
the wind till midniorht at E.N.E. ; after midnight
it fell slack, and so continued till 12 on Wednesday.

Wednesday we observed and found ourselves
but in 8 degrees and 12 minutes, and had not
made above 22 leagues, for the current that sets
here strongly to the J!^.W. took us in the weather
bow and dulled our way, always thrusting us to
leeward.

This Wednesday morning we saw a third rain-
bow ; of the two former we had the effect of foul

176 THE DISCOVERY OP GUIANA.

weather ; it also lighted the most part of these two
nights, which they say foreshows rain, and so we
have found it hitherto. Wednesday's rainbow gave
us but one gust at night, all the rest of the night
being fair ; about 8 o'clock we saw Magellan's
Cloud, round and white, which riseth and setteth
ivith the stars.

Thursday morning was fair, and we observed
and found ourselves in 7 degrees and 40 minutes.
From Wednesday noon to Thursday noon we made
upon a course S.W. and by S. 18 leagues. We
had on Thursday evening a rainbow, and there
follows a foul night, and a dark Friday till noon
with a wind at S.S.E., so bare as we could not lie
our course, and so long we have had those winds
southerly against the very order of nature in this
navigation as we have cause to fear that we shall
riot be able to fetch our port, but be put to sea-
ward.

From Thursday 12 to Friday 12 we made but
1 2 leagues, and found ourselves in 7 degrees and 20
minutes ; our water being also near spent, we were
forced to come to half allowance. Friday, about 3
at afternoon, the wind came altogether southerly
and rather to the westward, so as we could lie but

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 1'

west southerly and make but a W.N.W. way, and
in the evening we saw a wind gale in the east.
The wind increasing towards night, and the sky
fearfully overcast, we lay at hull, and so continued
all night with violent rains and much wind.

Saturday morning it cleared up in the S., and we
lay E.S.E. the other way to keep ourselves up,
but being able to lie but E.S.E. and E. by S. ; the
sea also heaving us to the northward we made but
a leeward way. At 3 in the afternoon in a gust
the wind came N., and then hoped to recover our
height, but it calmed again in the rains, and so it
continued in elFect all night, and the morning that
little wind which we had was but at S. easterly, so
as between Saturday 12 and Sunday 12 we made
not above 9 leagues, and raised not 10 minutes
towards the south.

From Sunday 12 o'clock to Monday 12 we had
the wind no better than S. and by E. and S.S.E.,
and made but 1 0 leagues at most.

From Monday to Tuesday 12 o'clock we had
little wind with fair weather, only at five in the
morning we had a little gale, first at E.N.E., and
then at E. and by S., and we made not above 8
leagues, and found ourselves in 7 degrees steering

178 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

away south to recover our height. Here we found
the compass to vary 7 degrees.

From Tuesday to Wednesday 12 we had the
wind large, but so gentle a wind as we made not
above 10 leagues, and found ourselves by an
obscure observation in 6 degrees ; two rainbows we
had in the morning, but fair weather had hitherto
followed, and so we hoped that the rains had
been past ; but the circle about the moon the
Tuesday night and the double rainbow on Wednes-
day morning paid us towards the evening with
rain and wind, in which gust we made shift to
save some three hogsheads of water, besides that,
the company having been many days scanted and
pressed with drought drank up whole quarter cans
of the bitter rain water. The Wednesday night
was also calm, with thunder and lightning.

Thursday morning we had again a double rain-
bow, which put us in fear that the rains would
never end; from Wednesday 12 to Thursday 12 we
made not above 6 leagues, having always uncom-
fortable rains and dead calms.

The last of October at night, rising out of bed,
being in a great sweat by reason of a sudden gust
and much clamour in the ship before they could

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 179

get down the sails, I took a violent cold which
cast me into a burning fever, than which never
man endured any more violent nor never man
suffered a more furious heat and an unquenchable
drought. For the first twenty days I never received
any sustenance, but now and then a stewed prune,
but drank every hour day and night, and sweat so
strongly as I changed my shirts thrice every day
and thrice every night.

The 11th of November we made the North Cape
of Wiapoco, the cape then bearing S. W. and by W.
as they told me, for I was not yet able to move out
of my bed ; we rode in 6 fathom 5 leagues of the
shore. I sent in my skiff to inquire for my old
servant Leonard the Indian, who had been with me
in England 3 or 4 years, the same man that took
Mr. Harcourt's brother and 50 of his men when they
came upon that coast and were in extreme distress,
having neither meat to carry them home nor means
to live there but by the help of this Indian, whom
they made believe that they were my men ; but I
could not hear of him by my boat that I sent in,
for he was removed 30 miles into the country, and
because I had an ill road and 5 leagues off, I durst
not stay his sending for, but stood away for

180 THE DISCOVEllY OP OTJIANA.

Caliana, where the Cazique was also my servant,
and had lived with me in the Tower 2 yeai-s.

Yet the 1 2th day we weighed and stood somewhat
nearer the land some 3 leagues off; my boat going
and returning brought us some of the country
fruits, and left in the port two Hollanders for
Onotto, gums, and speckled wood.

The 13 til I set sail along the coast and anchored
that night in eleven fathom near an island, where
there were so many birds as they killed them with
staves ; there grows upon it those trees which bear
the great cods of herecuUa silk. This island is
but little, and is from the mainland some 4 leagues ;
the same afternoon we weighed and stood along
the coast towards Caliana W.S.W. and S.W. and
by west, and anchored again in the evening some
5 leagues S.W. from the island of birds, in five
fathom within a kind of bay.

The 14th day we stood out of the bay, and
passed by 3 or 4 islands, where there grew many
trees of those that bare the cods of silk also; by
the islands we had 10 fathom, from whence we
stood along into 6 fathom, and came to an anchor,
thence I sent my barge ashore to inquire for my
servant Harry the Indian, who sent his brother

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 181

unto me with two other Caziques, promising to
come to me with provisions if I came not into the
river within a day or two. These Indians stayed
with me that night, offering their service and all
they had. Mine own weakness, which still con-
tinued, and the desire I had to be carried ashore
to change the air, and out of an unsavoury ship,
pestered with many sick men, which, being unable
to move, poisoned us with a most filthy stench,
persuaded me to adventure my ship over a bar
where never any vessel of burden had passed. In
the road my barge found one Janson of Flushing,
who had traded that place about a dozen years,
who came to me where I rode without, offering me
his service for the bringing in of my ship, and
assuring me that on the top of a full sea there
was 3 fathom, whereupon the rest of my fleet
went into the river and anchored within in 4 and
5 fathom. It flows there N.E. and S.W. ; here I
stayed at anchor from the 14th day to the 17th
day, when by the help of Janson I got over the
bar in 3 fathom a quarter less, when I drew 17
foot water.

After I had stayed in Caliana a day or two, my
servant Harry came to me, who had almost for-

182 THE DISCOVEBY OP GUIANA.

gotten his English, and brought me great store of
very good Casavi bread, with which I fed my com-
pany some 7 or 8 days, and put up a hogshead
full for store ; he brought great plenty of roasted
mullets, which were very good meat, great store of
plantains and piones, with divers other sorts of
fruits and pistachios, but as yet I durst not adven-
ture to eat of the pione, which tempted me ex-
ceedingly, but after a day or two, being carried
ashore and sitting under a tent, I began to
eat of the pione, which greatly refreshed me, and
after that I fed on the pork of the country, and
of the Armadillos, and began to gather a little
strength.

Here I also set all my sick men ashore, and
made clean my ship, and where tliey all recovered ;
and here we buried Captain Hastings, who died 10
days or more before, and with him my Sergeant-
major Hart, and Captain Henry Snedul, giving
the charge of Snedul's ship to my servant. Captain
Robert Smith of Cornwall. We also in this river
set up our barges, and made clean our ships,
trimmed up our cask, and filled store of water,
set up our smith's forge, and made such ironwork
as the fleet needed. In this river we refreshed

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 183

ourselves from the 17tli day of November till the
4th of December.

Captain Janson, whom we found a very honest
man, departed from Caliana towards Flushing the
, and Captain Peter Ally being still troubled
with the vertigo, desirous therefore to return
because unable to endure the rolling of the ship,
I got passage for him with Janson and for ,

who could not yet recover his health in this hot
country.

The 4th of December I weighed and fell down
to the haven's mouth, not daring to lose the spring
tide ; the rest of my ships had yet somewhat to do
about their boats which they newly set up, to wit.
The Flying Hart, wherein was Sir John Eerne, and
The Chudley; all j^romised to follow within a day
or two, and I told them that I would stay them at
the Triangle Islands called Epinessarie, only the
Vice-admiral followed me, to wit, Captain Pening-
ton, in the Jason, and notwithstanding that I had
sounded the bar twice or thrice before I durst put
over, yet I came aground in 16 foot, it being a
quarter ebb ere I could get over by reason of the
little wind which I found a sea-board. We used all
the help we had by warping and otherwise being

184 THE DISCOVERY OP GUIANA.

greatly assisted by the Yice-adirjiral's boats and
warps, but we stuck two whole tides and two
nights, and afterward had foul water in 3 fathom,
but God favoured us with very fair weather, and
the ground was all ooze, and very soft, for had it
been hard ground, and any weather at all, we had
left our bones there.

In this melancholy toil we spent the oth and
6th day, and then came to anchor at the Triangle
Islands before spoken of in 6 fathom, where I
stayed for the rest of the fleet till the 10th day,
who, neglecting the spring-tide, though they drew
by far less water than I did, were like to have
perished upon the flats where I struck.

The 10th day the rest of the fleet came to me,
all but the Chudley, and then I embarked my men
in five ships for the Orinoco, to Avit, 400 soldiers and
sailors. The ships I sent ofi* were the Encounter^
commanded by Captain Whitney ; the Supply, of
Captain King ; the Pink, of Robert Smith, Captain
Olestone, and Captain Hall.

Sir Warren Sentleger, to whom as to my lieu-
tenant I gave the charge of those companies, fell
extreme sick at Caliana, and in his place as
sergeant-major, I appointed my nephew, George

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 185

Raleigh ; the land companies were commanded by-
Captain Parker, Captain North, my son W.
Raleigh, Captain Thornehurst, Captain Hall, and
Captain Chudles, lieutenant ; Captain Kemishe
having the chief charge for their landing within
the river.

The 1 0th day they parted from us with a
month's victuals, or somewhat more ; I gave them
orders to stay a day or two in Shurinamo, to get
pilots, and to bring some of our great barges a-
ground, who were weak and leaked, by towing
them from Caliana. I also gave them order to
send into Dessekebe, for I assured them that they
could not Avant pilots there for the Orinoco, being the
next great river adjoining unto it, and to which
the Spaniards of the Orinoco had daily recourse.

The 15 th of December we made the land near
Puncto Anegada, at the mouth of the Orinoco,
and that night we saw the northern part of Trinidad,
and came to anchor in 30 fathom 6 leagues off the
shore. From thence we coasted the island, near the
south side in 15 fathom, and near the shore in 10
and 11 fathom, and coming close aboard the point
of the road at the west end of the island which
point they naturally call Curiapan, and the

186 THE DISCOVERY OP GUIANA.

Spaniards, Puncto de Gallo, we had 5 fathom. It
floweth on this south coast E.N.E. and "VV.S.W.
It is needful to sail near the point of Gallo, which
you may do boldly because there lieth a dangerous
ledge of rock so half a mile of the road to the
westward, a most forcible current that sets off the
point ; a greater current can nowhere be found,
the current of Bahama excepted.

The 17th we came to anchor at Puncto Gallo,
where we stayed, taking water, fish, and some
Armadillos, refreshing our men with palmetto,
Guiavas, piniorellas, and other fruit of the country,
till the last o£ December. In sailing by the south
coast of Trinidad I saw in one day, to wit, the
16th of December, 15 rainbows and 2 wind gales,
and one of the rainbows brought both ends together
at the stern of the ship, making a perfect circle,
which I never saw before, nor any man in my ship
had seen the like.

The last of December we weighed anchor and
turned up north-east towards Conquerabo, other-
wise called the port of Spain, being New Year's
eve, and we came to anchor at Terra de Bri, short
of the Spanish port some 10 leagues. This Terra
de Bri is a piece of land of some 2 leagues long

THE DISCOVERT OF GUIANA. 187

and a league broad, all of stone pitch or bitumen,
which riseth out of the ground in little springs or
fountains, and so running a little way, it hardeneth
in the air and covereth all the plain ; there are
also many springs of water, and in and among
them fresh- water fish. Here rode at anchor, and
trimmed our boats ; we had here some fish, and
many of the country pheasants somewhat bigger
than ours, and many of the hens exceeding fat and
delicate meat.

The 19th of January we sent up Sir J. Feme's.
ship to the Spanish port, to try if they would trade
for tobacco and other things ; but when her boat
was near the shore, while they on the land were in
parley with Captain Giles, who had charge of the
boat, the Spaniards gave them a volley of some 20
muskets at 40 paces distant, and yet hurt never
a man. As our boat put off", they called our men
thieves and traitors, with all manner of opprobrious
speeches.

The of January we sent back the Yice-

admiral, Captain Penington, to Puncto Gallo to
attend the return of our companies in the Orinoco.

The 29th of January we lost one of Sir Joseph
Feme's men, who being ashore boiling of the country

188 THE DISCOVERY OP GUIANA.

pitch was shot by a Spaniard, who lay in the woods
all night with five other Spaniards. Our ships
taking the alarm we weighed out our boats ; I took
my barge with six shot, Captain Chudley took his
skiff, and Sir W. Sentleger his ; we pursued them
with all haste possible, and forced them to forsake
their canoes and run into the thick woods, leaving
behind them their cloaks, and all other implements
but their arms. There were of Sir J. Feme's men
three, and one boy ; one of them was slain, one
swam aboard, and a third hid himself in the woods
till my barge came ashore ; the boy we suppose was
carried with them alive.

The last of January we returned from the pitch
land to Puncto Gallo, hoping to meet our men
which we sent into the Orinoco.

The first of February, the sentinel which we had
laid to the eastward of Puncto Gallo to discover if
any ships or boats came from the east along the
coast, for we could not disco v^er anything where we
rowed till they were within a mile of us by that the
point lay out so far ; these of the sentinel discovered
seven Indians and brought them unto us. They had
a village some 16 miles from us to the eastward, and
as it proved afterward, came but as spies to discover

THE DISCOVERY OP GUIANA. 189

our forces ; they were two days aboard, and would
be unknown that they could speak any word of
Spanish, but by signs they made us know that they
dwelt but one day's journey towards the east. I
kept 3 of them aboard, and sent 12 of my men
with the other 4 to see their town and to trade
with them, but in their way thitherward one of
the Vice-admiral's men espied an Indian, one of the
4 who two years before he had seen in the Orinoco,
and taking him by the arm told him that he knew
him, and that he could speak Spanish. In the end,
after many threats, he spake, and confessed that
one of the three aboard my ship could also speak
Spanish ; whereupon the Vice-admiral's man re-
turning aboard me, and I threatening the chief of
these which I had kept, one of them spake Spanish,
and told me that certain Indians of the drowned
lands, inhabited by a nation called Tibitivas,
arriving in a canoe at his port, told him that the
English in the Orinoco had taken St. Thome, slain
Diego de Palmita, the governor, slain Captain
Erenetta and Captain John Rues, and that the
rest of the Spaniards, their captains slain, fled
into the mountains, and that two English captains
were also slain. This tale was also confirmed by

190 DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

another Indian which my men brought from the
Indian town, with divers others particulars, which
I forbear to set down till I know the truth, for
the 6th of this month I sent the Yice-admiral's skiff
from PunctoGallo towards the Orinoco manned with
10 musketeers to understand what my men had
done there, and the cause of their long stay, having
received no news from them since they entered
the Orinoco but by these Indians since the 10th of
December, other than that they were at the river's
mouth, which news Captain Chudley (who accom-
panied them so far) brought me.

The 3rd of January my men returned from the
Indian town, and brought with them some Casavi
bread with other fruits, and very fair oranges.

The 4th of January a boat that I had sent over
to the south side, where I saw a great fire, returned,
not finding any people there.

The 6 th day I sent a skiff over toward the Orinoco
manned with 10 musketeers, to hear what was be-
come of my men there. The same day came into
this port Captain Giner, of the Isle of Wight, and
his pinnace.

The 8th day I sent 16 musketeers by land to
the Indian town to bring away some of the Indians

THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA. 191

which spake Spanish, and to separate them from
those two which I kept aboard me, because T found
them so divers in their reports as touching the
Orinoco, and because one of them had confessed tlie
day before that himself, with the pilot which I sent
into Orinoco in the skiff, and one of them in the
Indian town, were in St. Tlwme when it was taken
by the English. I was desirous by taking 2 or 3
of the rest to know the truth, but so careless were
the mariners I sent, as they suffered all to go
loose and to escape : but I had yet 2 Indians aboard
me, and a third went pilot for the Orinoco. One
of these I sent away with knives to trade with
a nation inhabiting the east part of Trinidad
called the Nepoios, with this charg'e, that if he
came not again after 4 days (which was the time
by him required), that I would then hang his
brother, which was the pilot aforesaid, and this
other Indian aboard, to which the Indian aboard
condescended.

But the 12th of February I went ashore and
took the Indian with me, fastened and well-bound
to one of my men, so carried him with me to show
me the trees whicli yield balsam, of which I had
recovered a nutful of that kind which smells like

192 THE DISCOVERY OF GUIANA.

Angelica, and is very rare and precious ; and after
it was 10 o'clock, and verv hot, the wood also being
full of mosquitoes, I returned and left my Indian
in charge of one of my master mates and 3 others ;
but I was no sooner gone but they untied him, and
he at the instant took the wood and escaped, not-
withstanding that I had told them that if the
Indian got but a tree between him and them, and
were loose, that all the English in the fleet could
not fetch him again. I had now none left but the
pilot sent to the Orinoco, and I fear me that he also
will slip away by the negligence of the mariners,
who (I mean the common sort) are diligent in
nothing but pillaging and stealing.

The 13th day Captain Giner and I made an
agreement that he should follow me with his small
ship and pinnace for 6 months after this 13th day.

The same evening I sent Sir W, Sentleger,
Captain Chudley, and Captain Giles, with 60 men,
to the Indian town to try if I could recover any of
them.

Printed by Cassell & Company, Limited, La Belle SauA-age, Loudon, E. C.

Washing, Cleansing, Scouring
Everything.

A Pupe Dry Soap, Fine
Powder.

Hiidiion'ii
£xtraet of

From

Cottage to Palace, Ships, &c.

In Packets,
One Penny and upwards.

FIRST JSSTABLISHBn 1825.

The Best and Cheapest Farinaceous Food.

NEAVE'S FOOD

FOR

INFANTS, INVALIDS, GROWING
CHIinitBN, and THE AGED.

Lancet. — " Carefully prepared and highly nutritious."

British Medical Journal. — *' Well adapted for children, aged
people, and invaHds."

In One Pound Canisters, One Shilling each.

SOLD EVERYWHERE.

WHOLESALE OF THE MANUFACTURERS, [40

J. R. NEAVE & CO., Fordingbridge, England.

To face end matter J t

Tlie Cheapest and most Complete

Frencli Dictionary xnihlished.

222nd Thousand.

New and Enlarged Edition now ready, 3s. 6d. ; or in

.superior binding with leather back, 4s. 6d.

Cassell's French Dictionary

(FRENCH-ENGLISH and ENGLISH-FRENCH).

Amongst the special features of this New and Enlarged Edition
are the following : —

1. It has been enlarged by the addition <7/'200 pages,

and now contains 1,150 pages extra crown 8vo.

2. New Words, to the number of 3,000, have been

added.

3. It has been revised by the latest Edition of the

Dictionary of the French Academy.

4. It has been entirely reset in New Type.

5. It has been corrected by Prof. Roubaud, B.A.

(Paris).

6. It contains many new features not found in any

other existing Dictionary.

7. It is the cheapest J the 7nost complete and extensive^

and so far as modern speUing is concerned, the
only accurate Dictionary of the French language
published in this country.

" The new edition of ' Cassell's French Dictionary ' seems fully to justify
the claim made in its Preface — that it is at once the cheapest, the most
complete and extensive, the only thoroughly accurate book of the kind in
this country. " — Record.

" One of the best books of its kind extant in this country. No pains
appear to have been spared upon it. . . . As far as we have been able
to test the work it is strictly accurate, and, in, short, ti /eaves nothing to be
desired as a handy book of reference with regard to a languagje which is, as
it ought to be, becoming more 'and more generally known in this country." —
Scotsman,

"'Cassell's French Dictionary ' has become a standard work in this
country, being used in the best schools, recommended by many of the first
professors of the day, and generally found a reference book of the highest
value and importance." — Daily Chronicle.

CASSELL & COMPANY, Limited, Ludgate Hill, Londm.'

A Standard Work that should be found in
every Library.

The Life and Voyages of Christopher

Columbus. To which are added those of his
Companions. By Washington Irving. (Author's
Revised Edition.) Complete in Three Volumes,
crown 8vo, 1,424 pages. Price 7s, 6d, the set.

" The extraordinary nature of the narrative, and the picturesqueness of
the style, make it far more exciting than any of the ordinary modern books
of adventure and travel wh:ch boys devour by the score. Here they have
the advantage of knowing that, amazing as the adventures are, they are all
perfectly true, and they see what may be done by indomitable courage and
sagacious foresight. It is a reproach to any boy not to know all about
Columbus that there is to be known," — Bradford Observer.

CASSELL & COMPANY, Limited, Ludgate Hill, London.

NEW WORK BY JULIAN THOMAS.

Cannibals and Convicts.

Notes of Personal Experiences in
the "Western Pacific. By Julian
Thomas ("The Vagabond"). With Portraits
and Map. Price los. 6d.

"Very few novels are a tenth part as bright or readable as
• Cannibals and Convicts.' There is material enough in the volume
to stock half a dozen Christmas numbers, and Mr. Stevenson him-
self never imagined anything queerer than the queer things Mr.
Thomas has seen and heard, and otherwise experienced with his
own acute seven senses, in the South Sea Islands." — Pall Mall
Gazette.

"As a book of travel among strange people the volume is
profoundly interesting.' — Daily Chronicle.

CASSELL & COMPANY, Limited, Ludgate Hill, London.

In Weekly Volumes, frice 3d. : or in doth, 6d.

' CASSELL'S NATIONAL LIBRARY.

Edited by HENRY MORLEY, LL.D.

List 0/ First dear's Volumes.

1. Warren H;a8tinp:a Lord Macaulay,

2. My Ten Years' Imprisonment .. .. Silvio Pellico.

3. The Rivals, and The School for Scandal R. B. Sheridan.

4. The Autobiography of Benjamin Pranltlin.

S- The Complete Angler Isaac Walton.

6. Childe Harold Lord Byron.

7. The Man of Feeling Henry Mackenzie.

8. Sermons on the Card Bishop Latimer.

9. Lives of Alexander and CaeBar .. .. Plutarch.

xo. The Castle of Otranto Horace Walpole.

11. Voyages and Tfavels Sir John Maundevillb.

12. Plays Oliver Goldsmith.

13. The Lady of the Lake Sir Walter Scoit.

14. Table Talk Martin Luther.

y$. The Wisdom of the Ancients .. .. Francis Bacon.

16. Francis Bacon Lord Macaulay.

17. Lives of the Poets (Waller, Milton. Cowlev) Samuel Johnson.

18. Thoughts on the Present Discontents, ate. Edmund Burke.

19. The Battle of the Books, &g Jonathan Swift.

20. Poems George Crabbe.

21. Egypt and Scythia Herodotus.

22. Hamlet Wm. Shakhspearr,

25. Voyagers' Tales Richard Hakluyt.

2^ Nature and Art Mrs. Inchbald.

95. Lives of Alcibiades, Coriolanus, &Q. .. Plutarch.

26. & 37. Life and Adventures of Baron Trenok. » Vols.

a8. Essays Abraham Cowley.

29. Sir Roger de Coverley Steele and Addison.

3D. Voyages and Travels Marco Polo.

31. The Merchant of Venice Wm. Shakespeare.

32. Religio Medici Sir T. Browne, M.D.

33. The Diary of Samuel Pepys.— 1660— 1661.

34. Earlier Poems John Milton.

35. The North-West Passage Richard Hakluyt.

36. The Sorrows of Werter Goethe,

■37. Lives of Poets (Butler, Uenham, Dryden, &c.) Samuel Johnson,

38. Nathan the Wise Lessing.

39. Grace Abounding John Bunyan.

4a Macbeth Wm. Shakespeare.

41. Tiie Diary of Samuel Pepys.— 1662— 1663.

42. Earlier Poems Alexander Pope.

43. Early Australian Voyages John Pinkerton.

44. The Bravo of Venice M. G. Lewis.

45. Lives of Demetrius, Mark Antony, <fce. .. Plutarch.

46. Peter Plymley's Letters, &c Sydney Smith.

47. Travels m England in 1782 C. P. Moritz.

48. Undine, and The Two Captains .. La Motte FouQufi.

49. Confessions of an Inquiring Spirit, &c. S. T. Coleridge.
so. As You Like It Wm. Shakespeare.

51. A Journey to the Hebrides .. .. Samuel Johnson.

52. A Christmas Carol, and The Chimes . . Charles Dickems.

The Fifty -two Volumes {bound in cloth) forming the
First Year's Issue maybe had in a Handsome Oak Book-Case^
price 81s. 6d.

40th Thousand, price 58,

King Solomon's Mines. By H. Rider

Haggard.

The Saturday Revieiv says: — "We would give many
novels, say eight hundred (that is about the yearly harvest),
for such a book as ' King Solomon's Mines.' "

19th TJtottsand, price 5s.

''Kidnapped." By Robert Lou is Stevenson.

'" Kidnapped ' is almost, if not quite, as fascinating as
'Treasure Island ;' and in some respects we prefer it." —
y/ig Times.

" It is the best thing the author has ever done." — World.

"Mr. Stevenson's study of Highland character in 'Kid-
napped,' in its strength and its weakness, is the best thing
of the sort which has been written since ' Rob Roy,' if in-
deed it is not better than ' Rob Roy.' '' — Daily News.

NEW EDITION, with Twenty-Fivb Illustrations
AND A Map, price 58.

Treasure Island. A Story of Pirates and
the Spanish Main. By Robert Louis Stevenson.

The St, James's Gazette says : — " Mr. Stevenson is the
Defoe of our generation. Since the days when ' Robinson
Crusoe' first delighted English readers, no book of adven-
ture has appeared that can pretend to rivalry with the
story of ' Treasure Island.' "

THIRD EDniON, price 58.
The Phantom City. A Volcanic Romance.

By William Westall, Atithor <tf " Red Ryvini^ton," &-C.
"'The Phantom City' will no doubt take its place by
the side of ' Solomon's Mines,' 'Treasure Island,' and other
popular tales lich in exciting incident. " — Morning Post.

Cassell & Company, Limited, Liidsate Hill, London.

1^

1^ FIVE:,C0LD MEDALS

DORWICKS

BAKINCPOWDER

fOR cAmPAsmnpUDDms.

To Malce a

I Plain Cako.-Mix well

together one pound of flour,
two full teaspoonfuls of
BORWICK'S GOLD MEDAL

Baking Powder, a little
salt and spice, and a 14 lb.

I of sug^ar ; rub in a J{ lb. of
butter, add six ounces of
sultanas, two ounces of cur-
rants, and one ounce of can-

I died peel ; moisten the whole
with two eggs, and half-a-

! teacupful of milk previously
beaten together ; bake in a
quick oven very thoroughly.
: Sold by all Grocers, Stores, Corn Dealers, Oilmen, Ac,

Guides to the Civil Service.

New and Enlarged Edition, price 3s. 6d. ;
post free, 3s. 9d.

Cruide to Employ inent in the

Civil Service (CasseWs), Containing the
Latest and Fullest Information respecting every
Department of the Civil Service, with particulars
of Situations and Salaries, Fees, Subjects of Ex-
amination, Age and Requirements of Candidates,
Specimens of Examination Papers, &c. &c.
"Should be in the possession of all who aim at Government
employment." — Leeds Mercury.

Price Is. ; post free, Is. Id.

Guide to Female Einployment

in Government Offices.

"As far as we know this is the only book of the kind
published, and we have no doubt it will be eagerly sought after
by the large class of young pei-sons for whom it is intended."' —
Schoolmaster.

"This handbook cannot fail to be most useful to thousands
and thousands of young persons that have to make their own
livelihood." — Aberdeen tret Press.

CASSELL & COMPANY, Limited, Ludgate Hill, London,
and all Booksellers.

Cotuni. To face cover }.] 6 '

/

University of Toronto
library

DO NOT

REMOVE

THE

CARD

FROM

THIS

POCKET

Acme Library Card Pocket

Under Pat. "Ref. Index File"
Made by LIBRARY BUREAU

. ed.

One ShiUinff JSaeh.

The World^s Workers.

©Hgina! Workt by Popular Authors, With P^ptpftftt.

VOLUMES NOW READY,

The Earl of Shaftesbury^

Sarah Bobmson, AgMg Westott, mnft

Mrs. Somerrille and Marr Carpenter.
tThomas A. Edisoii and Samuel P. B.

General Gordon.

Charles Dickens.

Sir Titus Salt and George Moore,

Florence NightinF?ale, Catherine Marsh.

Br. Guthrie, Father Mathew, Elihu

Burritt, Joseph lAx^w^j.

Sir Henry Havelock and CoHn Caunpbell.

liOrd Clyde.

Abraham Ijincoln>

David liivingstone.

George Miiller and Andrew Beed,

Bichaard Cobden.

Benjamin Franklin^

Handel.

Turner the Artist,

George and Bobert Stephenson.